Broken Promise
by kitty-kat12
Summary: Max & his friends believe that Tess betrayed them. When Alex comes back from the dead, their world is shattered by the more shocking news that Tess was sacrificing herself for their safety. They attempt to save her but a greater threat stand in their way,
1. Truths And Lies

DISCLAIMER: ROSWELL OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OF ROSWELL DON'T BELONG TO ME.  
  
PAIRINGS: MAX/ TESS, THE REST WILL FOLLOW.  
  
A/N: THIS IS MY FIRST ROSWELL FIC EVER SO DON'T KILL ME. THIS STARTS RIGHT AFTER ALEX WAS KILLED AND TESS WENT BACK TO ANTAR-PREGNANT. SOME OF THE FACTS MIGHT BE WRONG SINCE I HAVEN'T SEEN ROSWELL IN A _LONG_ TIME AND I DIDN'T KEEP TRACK OF IT THAT WELL.  ANYWAY, THIS IS JUST A TRYING VERSION SO I'LL SEE HOW YOU GUYS LIKE IT AND MAYBE I'LL KEEP IT GOING. ANYWAY ENJOY. HOPEFULLY.  
  
  
~*~  
  
Tess spoke quietly, her voice still, distant and very harsh. She tried not to blink; afraid that the tears she has been holding back would spill. She watched Max, the man she claimed to love; waiting for his reaction as she told him in few spiteful words that he meant _nothing_ to her and that she betrayed him. Each hateful word spoken felt like a knife through her own heart, every flinch he made was just as painful to her as it was to him but she refused to show any indication of her true feelings. She would not let him see that she was lying and that the truth was she loved him and there was nothing in this world or any other that could change that. 

It pained her even more to tell Max that she was taking his child away from him, depriving him of the chance to see his son. She took one last look at his face, embedding it in her mind and prayed never to forget him. Tess stepped inside the granilith, the humming of the strange machine making her slightly dizzy. Her heart screamed at her to turn around; to go back to Max before it was too late and tell him the truth. But her mind dictated that this was the logical thing to do; the _only_ choice left. 

She hoped that she was doing the right thing and that someday, _somehow_, he could forgive her.  
  
Max watched her enter the granilith. Her words were so hateful that he could have walked over to her right then and there and strangled her.  A part of him despised her; hated her for what she was and especially what she had done but as the door to the granilith closed, a sense of loss crept up on him.  
  
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Max sat on his bed listlessly, his eyes distant but evident of the pain and anguish he kept bottled inside of him. 

_She betrayed me_, he thought bitterly. _I trusted her and she betrayed me._

It was already two months since Tess left and he was still angry. Her spiteful words were still fresh in his mind; his hurt still raw. The memory of Tess fueled his anger and even the slight mention of her name irritated him. 

He heard Isabel yelling his name in the house but it didn't register in his mind until she was shaking him, gasping for air. "I…I…Alex is…Max, you have to…Michael's house," Isabel panted, making very little sense. Max frowned, slightly annoyed at her but concerned. "Come with me." She said, finally calming down. Max waited for an explanation but Isabel only yanked him out of his bed. She practically dragged him to Michael's house, urging him to run but he refused.  
  
What Max found over at his best friend's house stunned him. Paralyzed on the spot, he looked from his sister to Michael, searching for an explanation.  
  
"Don't look at me." Michael said, shrugging his shoulders as he looked at Alex who hadn't said a word since he showed up in front of his house. Alex sighed heavily, clasping his hands together, he stood up. He looked very troubled.  
  
"You're alive." Max whispered lamely.  
  
Alex frowned. "Of course, I'm alive. Now, where's Tess?" He asked and the room fell silent except for the gasp that escaped Isabel's lips.  
  
When Max couldn't muster an explanation, Isabel replied for her brother. "She's gone."  
  
Alex seemed to panic, blurting out an outraged, "_What_!" He paced in front of them, a mix of emotions crossing his face.  
  
"She…uh…killed you." Michael declared, feeling incredibly stupid knowing full well that Alex was standing in front of all of them very much alive.  
  
Alex looked like he was either going to burst into tears or laugh his head off like a madman. "Tess would _never_ in a million years kill me." He said in utter certainty.  
  
Max said nothing, only looked away, unable to believe the scene that was occurring right of front of him. Nothing made sense anymore and he felt like he was going to explode in a matter of seconds from the confusion in his mind.  
  
"She did. We found your jeep." Isabel explained firmly; the pain of losing him still evident in her voice.  
  
"Did she say that she killed me?" Alex questioned, arching a brow. "Did she?" He said raising his voice. Isabel flinched and Michael sighed deeply, brushing back his hair with his fingers. Max seemed dazed as he looked out the window.  
  
"Not in so many words." He mumbled.  
  
Alex nodded, obviously angry and frustrated. "Now she's gone. I'm too late." He mumbled. "I'm too late."  
  
Max jerked his head and asked, "Too late for what?"  
  
"I'm too late to stop Tess from getting herself killed." Alex replied somberly.  
  
"She's not dead, Alex. She went home-back to Antar." Michael declared; frowning slightly. Alex was not making any sense at all.  
  
"I know! I know! She shouldn't have. God, she never listens." Their friend replied, thoroughly infuriated.  
  
"Maybe you should explain." Isabel suggested and Alex sighed, exasperated, upset and a lot of things. 

He nodded and began.  
  
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The three friends sat in complete shock as Alex finished his story. By then, Isabel was crying, Michael had gotten completely uncomfortable that he fidgeted every once in a while and Max was scowling deeply.  
  
"She didn't betray us." Isabel whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Yeah but she said all those things. She mind-warped Kyle.  She made us believe you were dead.  She-" Max trailed off. He was at loss for words. He didn't know what to say, how to justify his anger.  
  
"She lied." Alex declared resolutely. "She lied to protect you. Protect all of us."  
  
"But why?" Isabel asked, still slightly confused.  
  
"Because that was all she knew, all that Nasedo taught her. She _lived_ to die." Alex explained somberly.  
  
"Die?" Max echoed, the word piercing his heart like a knife.  
  
Alex nodded gravely. "Yes, for all of you."  
  
"She's going to die like before." Michael said, his voice startling the others. He had been silent for a while, not saying a word or comment until now.  
  
_"Like before?"_ Max echoed, not understanding his friend's statement.  
  
Alex nodded and Michael sighed. "I remember. On Antar, before…before our defeat, she sacrificed herself…and the baby for all of us." His very words made him hurt. The memory was not complete but it was vivid. He remembered Ava and holding her limp pregnant body in his arms, the blood from her fatal wound staining his armor, his clothes.  
  
And he remembered the look of anguish on Zan's face that was soon mirrored on their entire army. And he remembered crying, for Vilandra who betrayed them all; for Ava, their Queen who was now lost like many others; for Zan, his best friend and king, for himself, and their people.  
  
Michael cringed at the memory, wanting it to fade away but it lingered, eating away at him.  
  
"We can go after her." Max suggested.  
  
Alex shook his head. "We might be too late." He said. "Tess reached Antar by now and Kivar has her already."  
  
"We have to try."    
  
Alex nodded. It was true. They did have to try. She was his friend and in many ways, his partner in crime. They had staged his death together because it was previously planned that he would go with her to Antar to watch over her and the baby.  
  
But Tess had other plans. She never wanted Alex to come with her and endanger himself for her safety and she had offered him to go back to his life so many times. But Alex knew better. Tess was his friend and he was going to stand by her no matter what. He was doing this for her as much as for Isabel.  
  
He loved her and if Tess' plan meant Isabel and her family's safety, then he was willing to do it without a second thought. But despite the fact that she needed a friend and ally, Tess would not let Alex go through with it. So, instead she mind-warped him into forgetting certain things and sent him all the way to France. It was the closest place she could send him since he was previously in Switzerland trying to decode the book that Tess had.  
  
"Max, are you sure?" Isabel asked fearfully.  
  
Max nodded his face grim with determination. This was his son and had been wife or wife to be, whichever worked, and he was not going to let them die. He felt like a traitor as he looked out into the open. Tess didn't betray him or any of them. She sacrificed her life, so that they may have a chance to live theirs.  
  
He was the one who betrayed her. He lost his faith in her.  
  
Max's mind raced as he tried to come up with some great plan to save Tess from the destruction that she had brought upon herself. Somehow, he had to save her and his son.  
  
When this is over, they were going to have a major discussion about lying to him and endangering herself and his son. 

~*~

A/N:  Feedback is very much appreciated.


	2. Duty

A/N: THIS IS CHAPTER TWO. I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE LIKING IT. DON'T KILL ME FOR WHAT I WROTE HERE. THIS IS A MAX/TESS FIC SO DON'T FLIP OUT. ANYWAY, MORE REVIEWS. ENJOY.  
  


~*~

  
Maria Deluca stood quietly as she tried to say something profound to Michael. He was leaving her and this time maybe forever and it terrified her.  
  
"I'll come back." Michael said gruffly as if reading her mind. He wasn't the kind of person to talk feelings out or say long goodbyes so he just hugged his on-and-off girlfriend and brushed a kiss on her forehead. "As soon as we get Tess back." He added and Maria nodded. That was what she was afraid of.  
  
_What if they didn't get her back?_  
  
_What then?  
  
Will they stay in Antar?  
  
Forever?_  
  
"I still think I should go with you." Kyle insisted as he walked over to Max, who only shook his head, "Why not? Max, you need all the help you can get! It was frustrating him that he was not allowed to help.  
  
"Because it's dangerous and we don't even know if human can survive on Antar." Max replied.  
  
"Well, you're half human. How do you know _you'll_ survive?" Kyle argued stubbornly.  
  
"Kyle-"  
  
"He will." Alex, who was standing on the sidelines watching them argue, piped in. "Antar is a three race colony. Full-blooded Antarians, hybrids and humans."  He declared with conviction.  
  
"How do you know this?" Jim Valenti asked, shooting a curious glance at the young man.  
  
There was something remarkably different about Alex Whitman since his disappearance. It was as if he gained a lot of knowledge about the universe, himself, and everything.  It was refreshing.  
  
"I decoded the book, remember?" Alex replied casually, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, Tess taught me a lot of things."  
  
"Like what?" Liz joined in. They were all there, the so called _gang_, in the place where the granilith was hidden. Some of them were there to leave, and some to say goodbye.  
  
"Look, we don't have time for this." Max said impatiently, cutting all of them off.  
  
"We didn't even say goodbye to Mom and Dad." Isabel said unhappily as she sat on the corner. Her heart ached more than she could bear. She did not want to leave and everyone knew it. She had told them as much.  
  
She didn't want to leave their parents, the two people she cared about except for Max and Michael, didn't want to leave the life that she had built here. This was _home_. Not Antar or any other planet out there. Most of all, she didn't want to leave Alex. She found him again, got him back from the dead but there was no time now.  
  
They were given a second chance and she was going to miss out on it.  Life was unfair.    
  
"Max is right. Let's go." Michael declared as he walked over to Isabel and helped her up.  
  
"Max, you shouldn't do this. You don't have to." Liz interrupted hastily. "I'm sure Tess and your son are fine."  
  
Max shook his head at her. He did not expect her to understand. A small part of him still loved her but some things had to come before Liz Parker. It was strange how things could change so easily in such a short time but right now, Max had no time to think about where his heart belongs and who with.  
  
"They need me." He said firmly, ending the discussion. He nodded his head at the rest of his friends and motioned his sister and best friend to follow him into the granilith. None of them looked back; afraid to see the sadness in the eyes of the people that they have come to love and call family; afraid that they too would fall apart.  
  
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"Uh, Max, shouldn't we be in Antar?" Michael asked stupidly when they stepped out of the granilith and found that they had not gone anywhere. Max shot him an annoyed glance but refused to answer.  
  
"Yeah." Kyle agreed; confused as to why they were still on earth.  
  
"What went wrong?" Sheriff Valenti asked, concerned.  
  
"It didn't work." Isabel replied, slightly frustrated.  
  
"Thank God." Liz whispered to herself in the background.  
  
"We have to try again." Max said, refusing to answer any of them.  He was _not_ going to give up.    
  
"It won't work." Alex declared matter-of-factly.  
  
"And why the hell not?" Michael asked impatiently.  
  
"Because this is Tess' backup. She reconfigured the granilith so that _no one_ can use it.  Not you, Michael or Isabel or anyone with alien DNA." He explained matter-of-factly. "Don't ask me how. She never told me. Just one of the many things she learned from Nasedo."  
  
"_Great_. Just great." Max hissed.  He was on the verge of losing his patience.

Michael heaved a weary sigh.  "And why couldn't you tell us this before?"  He asked impatiently, glaring at Alex.

Alex shrugged, slipping his hands into the pocket of his jeans.  "Would that have stopped you from trying?"  He retorted coolly.  
  
"She covered all her bases." Kyle stated with a smirk. "That's our Tess." He added with obvious pride.  
  
Max gave him a disapproving look. Tess' obvious thoroughness was not helping them right now. "Ok, plan B."  
  
"There's a plan B?" Isabel asked, arching a finely sculpted eyebrow at her brother.  
  
"No, but there will be." Max replied.  
  
"Maybe this is fate's way of telling you that you shouldn't go." Liz said cautiously.  She really did not want to lose Max.  
  
Michael scoffed. "Screw fate. We're getting Tess back. We owe her _that_ much." He said. He felt incredibly defensive about Tess, considering that she had forfeited her life for theirs in the past and now she was repeating it again.  
  
Max sighed. _Maybe Liz was right. Maybe they were already too late and Tess was gone and so was his son. Or maybe they were all right_. Despite how many assumptions he could make up in his mind, Max refused to believe that it was too late.  
  
They had to try no matter what.  
  
"Go home. All of you." Max said in a startlingly commanding tone. At first, they all stood there, unmoving.  "_Now_."  Max continued and finally they all trudged to the exit, clearing the room out one by one except for Alex.  
  
"Max?" Alex called out from where he was standing. He had stayed behind to make sure that his friend was okay.  
  
"Why couldn't she tell me the truth?" He asked dejectedly, pain flickering in his eyes. It would have been so much simpler if she just told him.  
  
"Because she knew that you didn't trust her and you wouldn't understand. None of you did." Alex replied softly.  He had gone through the same discussion with Tess.  He had tried every argument in the book to get her to tell Max the truth but she was stubborn.  And she was right.  Even after all his protests, Alex knew that Tess was right.  
  
"I guess not." Max whispered after a long moment of silence. "But why you?" He added with a small frown on his face.  
  
"Because I listened and I caught her." Alex replied with a faint smile as he recalled the moment.  
  
"Caught her?"  
  
Alex nodded. "She was making her plans and I caught on. At first, she denied it and I threatened to tell all of you. I finally pried it out of her. I guess she got desperate."  
  
"Tess was never desperate." Max said quietly, as if speaking to himself.  
  
Alex shrugged her shoulders. "She needed a friend." He corrected himself. "We'll figure out something."  
  
"Like what? I'm out of ideas Alex. My head hurts so much from thinking!" Max was practically yelling, out of fear, desperation and sadness.  
  
"Get some rest, Max. Tess would want you to rest." Alex said as he walked out leaving Max to stare into space, the hurt that he was feeling overtaking him.  
  
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Ava stood proudly on the balcony of the palace, the wind blowing back a strand of stray hair from her face. She smiled, slightly content, as she looked down at her people, her nation. Her mind drifted back to a planet on the Milky Way galaxy, light years away from where she was now. She could barely recall how long it has been since she left there, since she ran from her so called _family_. Time on Antar was different to Earth's.  
  
She sighed, refusing to think of them anymore. Instead she let her eyes wander on the beauty of her planet; from the Ice Mountains on the left of her kingdom that glistened like the diamonds on Earth in the day, to the cities that were being rebuilt from ruins, to the eastern wing of the palace that housed the office of its new leader.  
  
"Hiding from me?" A familiar voice disrupted her thoughts.  
  
_Khivar._  
  
Ava did not look back, waiting for him to walk over and stand next to her. "How are things in the Council?" She asked, coolly.  
  
He approached her as expected. "They were asking for you."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, still not looking at him. "They'll manage." She replied. She watched him from the corner of her eyes, noting his movement, mentally judging him.  
  
Khivar nodded quietly, watching her with curiosity. "They are grateful especially to you." He finally said.  
  
Ava looked at him and smiled softly. It was strange how things came to be, how it turned out exactly the opposite of her expectations.  
  
Antar was a thriving planet, prospering under Khivar's rigorous rule. Most of the people still did not support him; they wanted the rightful heir to rule instead but they were still grateful for this chance to prosper again and to have someone lead the army into countless victories over their enemies. They were still fighting a war that began almost two decades ago but this time, Khivar, despite his harsh ways, was there to lead them to glory.  
  
What was even more surprising was that she stood by him as equal ruler, Queen of Antar and mother to Lex, the heir to the throne. Her son was six months old now in Antarian calendar and he was the most pampered and protected living being in the whole universe.  
  
To Ava, he was the reason that she was here, standing by the man that was supposed to be their enemy, tolerating him each day.  
  
Khivar was still ruthless in getting his way but at least she was there to keep him to the right path, to guide him as they continued to flourish. She would not let him sway; let him destroy their planet again.  
  
To Khivar, this child was the key to his endless reign over Antar. As long as Lex lived, he would rule. He was the assigned guardian to the heir and he would raise him as his own, along with Ava.  
  
He had not intended to keep her alive but with her by his side, he was stronger. The people would accept him easier if he pleased the Queen, if she approved of him. The Council would listen to him; follow his orders as long as she was there to watch over him, over all of them.  
  
She was their believed hero, their guardian angel.  
  
And he liked her.  
  
Other than the fact that she was startlingly beautiful, there was something unexplainably appealing about her. Perhaps it was the reason that she was untouchable, that her heart was guarded by a barricade impervious to any pain or affection that came her way, or maybe it was the strength inside her, the regal bravery that she carried around. Maybe it was the fact that she does not want anyone rescuing her from anything, not that she needed any saving.  
  
"By the way, we're leaving tomorrow." He added slyly.  
  
She looked at him curiously and was about to speak when one of the servants interrupted her, handing her son over. She cradled Lex in her arms and he automatically snuggled towards her, wanting the warmth and familiar comfort of his mother's touch.  
  


She bent her head and brushed a soft kiss on Lex's smooth forehead.  No one would know how much she loved her child.

  
"Where are we going?" Ava asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at him. Something felt incredibly wrong when she heard him speak, as if there was something sinister behind the statement, a larger, more dangerous plan that he kept from her.  
  
It worried her. He was still dangerous.  
  
Khivar smirked slightly, his eyes twinkling with trouble.  
  
"Earth." He replied nonchalantly.


	3. Devil You Know

A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER THREE. SOME OF THE THINGS AREN'T ACCURATE. DON'T KILL ME FOR IT. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE. IT'S A BIT LONGER THAN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. ANYWAY MORE REVIEWS. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Ava looked at him; her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to rip through her chest. She prayed that she heard him wrong, that the smug smirk on his face was not there.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Khivar asked. He was waiting for her to protest, to panic, and to find some hasty excuse to stop him.  
  
"What would that accomplish? You already have everything." She declared calmly. "Do you honestly need to go back and gloat that you've won?"  
  
Khivar smirked at her, his face contorting into a creepy scowl. "We have unfinished business there." He replied cryptically.  
  
Ava narrowed her eyes at him, holding her son tighter. "What business?" She asked. She was going to play this off, act as clueless as possible.  
  
"We are going to finish off what you didn't." He declared bitingly.    
  
"I didn't forget to do anything." She defended herself.  
  
"Don't play dumb, Ava." He said; sounding slightly annoyed with her. "You did everything except kill you husband." He said; his voice low and dangerous. Her heart sank at his words, and panic filled her thoughts but she refused to let him see how it affected her.  
  
Ava glared at him, her voice calm and cool as she spoke. "What for? He's practically helpless. He and his friends can't get to Antar. I made sure of that."  
  
"But he's still a threat! " Khivar argued heatedly. "I'm going to kill him and you are going to be there to watch."  
  
_Oh god,_ she thought fearfully. "You already have _everything_. What difference is his life going to make?"  
  
"A lot of difference!" He hissed. "I can not afford to keep him alive. He could rise and take over and it could cost me. You got careless, Ava. You let him live. Your human half makes you _weak_."  
  
She gritted her teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of losing her temper and defending herself. She watched him carefully, slightly afraid of the grim determination that gleamed in his dark eyes. She had to dissuade him from going. Despite her resentment towards Max and his family, she still cared.  
  
She hated to admit it but it was the truth.  
  
She had worked too hard to keep him alive, sacrificed to many things, too many lives to let him die now.  
  
Khivar was not going to succeed in his plan of killing Max if she had anything to say about it.  
  
"I'm going to finish him off and you and our son are coming along." He said taking Lex from her arms.  The child fussed in his arms, sensing that his mother was not pleased with Khivar.  
  
"You mean _my_ son." Ava irately corrected him as she tried to take Lex back but Khivar moved away.  He shifted Lex in his arms, holding him tighter.  
  
"As far as people are concerned, Lex is _my_ son. I am going to raise him as _my_ own." He declared firmly. "And no one is going you say otherwise. Not even you, your highness."  
  
He was right. As long as Max or Zan was not around, Lex was as good as Khivar's son. And she had secured that already.  
  
Another sacrifice to add in the list of many that came along with this great plan.  
  
Her so called destiny.  
  
"You're both going. End of discussion."  
  
Ava frowned at him, not liking where this conversation was headed. "Don't be foolish. We both know that Lex can't survive on Earth. I barely made it out alive while I carried him." She said crossing her arms angrily at him.  
  
She looked more confident than she really was, but the truth was that she was shaking uncontrollably inside, a storm clouding her mind from thinking of how to warm Max, Isabel and Michael. And protect her baby at the same time.  
  
Khivar shrugged his shoulders casually as he looked down at the child that looks so much like his mother except for the dark hair. "We'll just have to test that theory again, won't we?"  
  
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"Max, I know you're hurting but this is important!" Isabel exclaimed impatiently, frustrated with her brother's behavior.  
  
"You're not sure Isabel. What do you want me to do? All you have is a bad feeling and a nightmare." Max declared indignant as he shot his sister a look that said, _go away_.  
  
"What if I'm right? What if we _are_ being followed and they're out to kill us? What if something happens?" She insisted adamantly, crossing her arms in front of her.  
  
Max sighed sharply. "We don't even know who _they_ are, Isabel. I don't have time for this." He mumbled wearily.  
  
"You _never_ have time for anything." She said acrimoniously, walking away from him. "It's almost been a year Max, get over it."  
  
Isabel didn't mean to be so harsh but she was scared and paranoid. She could feel trouble coming and Max was not listening to her. His mind was always drifting off, always occupied with troubled thoughts. She needed him. She needed the old Max to take charge and make them feel safe again, to lead them in the war that she knew was coming.  
  
"What the hell do you want from me?" He snapped, glaring at her dangerously.  
  
"I want my brother back, Max." She said unhappily. Uneasily silence fell between them. "I wish she never came to Roswell. I wish we never met her. Then you wouldn't be like this. You wouldn't be hurting."  
  
"Yeah." He said absently.  
  
"She made her choice. We all have to live with it. Don't blame yourself."  Isabel said, trying to console him the only way she knew right now.  
  
"You don't understand Isabel. You can _not_ possibly understand how I feel right now. How I've been feeling lately." He said angrily; his voice hoarse.  
  
She glared at him, looking away and shaking her head with disappointment. "You're wrong. I understand _perfectly_ how you feel. I lost Alex, remember? At least I thought I did. I know what it's like to mourn someone."  Isabel insisted.  
  
"It's not the same."  
  
"Yes it is! God, you are being so selfish." Isabel yelled. "I lost her too. You weren't the only one, Max. She was my best friend. She understood me more than anyone. I miss her just as much as you do. But I am not going to let her ruin me. She did what she had to do and I am forever grateful to her for that but I can't stop living my life. Neither can you."  
  
"It does not compare, Isabel!" He yelled just as loudly.  
  
"Yes, it does!" She argued. "I know you loved her but there's nothing we can do now. We've tried everything."  
  
"No, you don't get it. Maybe I miss her but I am angry as hell with her. I blame her! Don't you understand? I am _mad_ at her." Max exclaimed furiously, his chest heaving. "She took away my son. She made a big, monumental decision without even consulting me! For all I know she's dead along with our child. She didn't even ask. She didn't bother to think that I just might want my son alive." He said brokenly, but refused to cry.  
  
Isabel looked at him. He was the shell of what her brother used to be and for the first time in a long time, she truly pitied him and hated Tess. This was her doing. It was so inconsiderate of her to not even think of the consequences. Not even think of Max or the baby's life.  
  
But Isabel was torn between gratitude to her former sister in law and the hurt that her brother felt. She didn't know what to say, how to comfort him and yet justify Tess' actions at the same time.  
  
"I'm sorry." She managed to choke the words out as she fought the urge to cry.  
  
"Yeah, well, so am I." Max snarled bitterly before walking out of the house, slamming the door behind him.  
  
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Kyle sat on the overly large rock quietly, his head titled back, his eyes slightly closed. He spent most of his time here, ever since Tess left.  
  
It was as if he found some sort of comfort in this spot close to Nasedo's grave. His mind usually drifted back to his almost sister, to Tess. He missed having her around, having her bother him and make trouble. He missed having her at the house, cooking for him and his father, always making sure to leave out the Tabasco sauce before they could have their share.  
  
His fondest memory of her was when she made turkey during Christmas. He remembered how the house smelled, how his father Jim had smiled at the feast that lay before their very eyes. It was the first happy Christmas that their family had in a long time and Jim and Kyle were grateful to her for that.  
  
Now there aren't going to be any more happy Christmases to celebrate, no more delicious turkey carved perfectly by alien powers.  
  
He had sat here for months now, just staring, thinking about everything and anything. Deep inside he knew that he was waiting, hoping so some sort of miracle to bring Tess back. That someday, out of nowhere, she would just show up, alive. Why he chose this spot was beyond him. It just drew him closer to his lost sister.  
  
Nasedo, after all was her father, the man who raised her since she came out of the pod chamber and taught her everything. So if he was closer to him, then he was close to Tess.  
  
Kyle opened his eyes, frustrated with his troubled thoughts. He hated it when he became nostalgic but it also gave him comfort.  
  
"Oh my god." He gasped. Kyle watched in shock as the very familiar figure stood by Nasedo's grave, completely oblivious of his presence.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
She looked down at the unmarked grave, kneeling cautiously on the dry grass. It had taken a lot of courage to come back here. She looked at it for the longest time, unsure of what to do or say next.  
  
"I failed." She finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I failed you. I failed the mission. And I failed Max." Tess sighed heavily. Her hair hiding her tearstained face and he body slouched in defeat.  
  
"I tried. I followed what you told me. I did everything you asked. Everything except deliver Max to Khivar. I couldn't do it. I'm sorry." She continued miserably. "Now Khivar is back and he's going to kill Max. You told me to protect him. But I don't know how. Tell me what to do, _please_." Tess whispered hopelessly.  
  
She waited for a few minutes, silence surrounding her except the sound of the birds and rustling of leaves. She waited as if giving him time to speak from the grave, to give her some great advice on how to fix her mistakes and save the world.  
  
But nothing came. Just silence and a warm hand on her shoulder that startled her. She leapt from where she was kneeling to find herself face to face with Kyle.  
  
"Kyle?" She gasped, backing away from him instinctively.  
  
"I thought I was hallucinating." He said numbly despite the many emotions that we reflected in his eyes.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked, frantically looking around.  
  
"I was going to ask you the same." Kyle replied quietly, his happiness masked.  
  
"You can't be here." Tess declared uneasily.  
  
"Oh? And we thought you were dead." He said sarcastically, his bitterness overtaking.  
  
"You don't understand." She insisted, her face becoming marked with a frown.  
  
"Humor me." He said, crossing his arms in front of him.  
  
Tess sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry I have to do this." She said stepping closer to him, beginning to mind warp him.  
  
He slapped her hand away angrily. "You are not brainwashing me, Tess. Besides, Michael is on his way."  
  
Tess gasped. "No!"  She shrieked, looking terrified.  
  
"_Yes_, so don't bother. You're going to have to explain why you lied to all of us." He declared angrily. "Don't worry. I told him to come alone." He added when he saw the panic in her eyes. She looked like she was on the verge of hysterics.  
  
"You have no idea what you just did." She hissed angrily.  She wasn't angry Kyle, more like at herself for being so reckless.  
  
"How about making it clear to us?" Michael's voice interrupted them as he came into view.  
  
Tess' lip quivered. She wanted to run, to not explain to them why she was here and why she did what she did in the first place. She frantically searched mind for some great escape tactic.  
  
"No more running, Tess." Michael said as he stood beside Kyle, ready to grab her if she tried to escape.  
  
"You all have to leave Roswell." It was the first thing that came to her.  
  
"Why?" Kyle demanded, watching her curiously.  
  
"Because you're all in danger. Khivar is back and he's going to kill Max and anyone who stands in his way." She explained frantically.  
  
"You're going to tell Max that yourself because he won't believe us. He won't listen to any of us." Michael insisted.  
  
"No!" She hissed adamantly. "Make him understand. Make him listen. I don't care what you have to do, just get him to out of here and to safety."  
  
"He deserves to know. After everything that _you_ put him through, you owe him this at least." Michael argued.  
  
"I owe him _nothing_. I have given him everything that I can. I have lived my life so that one day I could keep him safe. I tried my best. But I can't do that anymore. I've tried everything." She explained quietly.  
  
"Tess-"  
  
"You can't let him know." She pleaded.  
  
"And you expect us to convince Max to just up and leave his whole life over a small information that isn't likely to convince him?" Kyle demanded.  
  
"I don't expect you to do anything but save your friend. Just leave as soon as possible." She said quietly. "You can't let him know. I know Max. I know that he'd want to do the whole save-a damsel-in-distress routine. It'll get him killed. He'd fall for the trap so easily. That's why I'm here. Khivar brought me as bait."  
  
"And you think that we won't save you knowing that now?" Michael asked incredulously.  
  
"I don't know what to think but I'll be fine. I can handle myself." She replied firmly. She looked at Michael and Kyle unhappily. "He won't kill me. I promise you." She wasn't entirely sure of that but for now; she was going to make them believe it.  
  
"How do you expect us to believe you? You lied to us before." Kyle stated resentfully.  
  
"I did it for him. For all of them. I don't have time to explain this in one night. I promised him. I promised Zan years ago that I would defend his people, protect them and protect him. That's what I'm doing." She explained desperately.  
  
"Well, I made a promise too and I'm hell bent on keeping it." Michael declared, remembering his promise to Zan and Ava.  
  
"Rath, swear to me, like you have before that you will protect the life of your king, place him above anything in the world, so that the people of Antar may live." She said; her voice hushed and strange.  
  
Kyle watched them curiously. In that moment, she was Ava, not Tess and it amazed him to hear her words, to listen to the courage in her voice.  
  
"And you too, Kyle, on my father's grave, _promise_ me that you'll keep Max safe." She said turning to him. "That at least you'll try."  
  
Kyle nodded, touched by the sincerity of the moment.  "We promise." Michael said quietly for both of them and Tess nodded to acknowledge his words.  
  
Kyle stepped forward, taking her by surprise, and hugged her tightly. "We better see you again or I'll never forgive you." He said kissing her hair.  
  
Tess nodded. _Hopefully_, she thought.  
  
But she knew she was likely to die. She had no purpose now, knowing that Max was protected by Michael and Kyle, except to keep Lex alive. To make sure that he grows up into someone good so that he could save his people from Khivar.  
  
She would stand by Khivar if that's what it took to save her son, and his future. The future of a whole nation rested on the hands of her child.  
  
It was a great burden and she was going to help her son carry it if she could.  
  
If Khivar is going to kill her for her betrayal then it was worth it. It was worth it to know that Max was safe.  
  
As for Lex, she was willing to take a chance on him and pray that he'll grow into a noble person, turn into the man that was his father--his true father, Max.  
  
"Thank you." She said to Michael before walking away, refusing to show them the tears that blinded her eyes.


	4. Parting

A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER FOUR. SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG. IT'S NOT THE MOST EXCITING OR CREATIVE BUT I PROMISE IT WILL GET BETTER IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS. I'LL COME UP WITH SOEMTHING TO BRING MAX AND TESS TOGETHER. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE. IT'S NOT IMPORTANT. JUST SHOWS SOME STUFF ANDTIES THINGS TOGETHER. I'LL WRITE MORE TO MAKE UP FOR THIS CHAPTER. IT'S BORING, I KNOW. SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU. ANYWAY, REVIEWS AND IDEAS PLEASE. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Ava leaned down on the crib and picked Lex up. The baby crooned and she smiled.  "Sorry I had to leave you." She whispered as she cradled him.  
  
Lex looked up at her, his deep blue eyes that reflected hers, filled with so much innocence.  
  
"We're going for a walk." She declared aloud when she sensed that Khivar was in the room.  Ever since her return to Antar, she had learned to _feel _when Khivar was in the room, like she had a radar that detected him.    
  
He said nothing but just walked towards her. "It's not safe outside." He declared, glancing out the window.  
  
Ava scoffed, glaring at him. "Safe? You were the one brilliant enough to put my son's life in the line by testing your stupid little theory on whether he'd survive on earth. Don't tell me it's not safe to go outside." She said sarcastically.  
  
Khivar grinned; fighting back the urge to slap her. Sometimes she was so spiteful that he just wanted to hurt her.  
  
But it came with the territory.  
  
She was alone, and he assumed afraid too. She had no one but her son, who was vulnerable and fragile right now. She had no choice but to be cruel to him who threatened her the most.  
  
"How was your trip to Roswell?" He asked unceremoniously.  
  
Tess inwardly flinched.  She didn't turn back to acknowledge that she was panicking. _How the hell did he know?_  
  
Ava wasn't surprised. He probably had someone tail her which scared her even more. He could know everything. Then why wasn't he doing anything?  
  
The questions in her mind were making her paranoid.  
  
"Checking up on me, Khivar?" She said smoothly.  
  
"Just making sure the queen is safe." He smirked.  
  
_Like you care_, she thought bitterly but refused to say it a loud.  
  
"How long are we staying here?" She asked, turning to face him. She wanted to change the subject and besides, she wasn't asking about something irrelevant. She really did want to know how long they were going to be here.  
  
Maybe if she had more time, she could come up with a plan. For something. _Anything_.  
  
"As long as we have to. We're going to win this war and not even you will be able to stop it." He said; his voice low and menacing.  
  
"I don't intend to." She lied coolly.  
  
He watched her cautiously, his eyes filled with suspicion. He didn't trust her. He knew the feeling was mutual. They came from opposite sides but Khivar knew she was easier to sway, easier to talk to.  
  
She may be stubborn but there were qualities in her that he admired, qualities that Vilandra used to posses. Courage. Courage to fight for what they believed in.  
  
That's what they both had in common.  
  
Both women had the courage to betray their family. All for the sake of love.  
  
_How pitiful_, he thought as he walked away.  
  
Ava waited for him to leave until she let herself relax and sit down. She looked out into the garden that surrounded the house that she was virtually kept prisoner in.  
  
They were in a small house on the outskirts of Alamogordo, a city right next to Roswell. Why Khivar picked the house they stayed in was beyond her. She had expected him to take them to a secret base where he would plan their attack on Max and his family.  
  
She sighed remembering that just a few hours ago; she was talking to Michael and Kyle. It hurt to see them again, to see the pain and hate  and betrayal in their eyes.  
  
She had hurt them more than she expected.  
  
She betrayed them but what choice did she have? It was either all their lives or just hers to sacrifice. So she picked hers. Let them live.  
  
They had more chances of being normal than she did. They had spent years on Earth, blending in with full blooded humans. They acted human, they talked human and their memory of their past lives was not complete enough to forever change them.  
  
As for her, she was never fully complete. Nasedo had taught her that being Antarian was stronger, more powerful. It gave her edge that the others did not have. It prepared her for anything.  
  
Antarians sacrificed lives for the greater good. They saw the bigger picture. Humans on the other hand acted based on their emotions. _It blinded them_, he once said. And because of that she wasn't allowed to share the gift that humanity had.  
  
She carried all the memories of their past and as a child she was robbed of that innocence.  
  
Ava sighed hoping that Michael and Kyle would listen to her and not do anything that they would all regret.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Kyle ran his fingers through his hair one more time as he and Michael walked over to Max's front door.  
  
"What's the plan again?" Kyle asked in a small whisper, looking around nervously.  
  
Michael frowned at him, obviously displeased. "I told you already. Stop looking nervous. He'll catch on right away. We have to do this right." He declared determinedly.  
  
Kyle sighed nervously. "I know. We promised her." Kyle stated.  
  
Michael nodded as he knocked on the door rather loudly.  
  
"Here goes."  
  
Max answered a few minutes later.  "Hey." He said; his voice flat and emotionless.  
  
"Hey…uh, can we come in?" Michael asked expectantly.  
  
Max nodded silently, moving out of their way to let them through.   
  
"So what's going on?" He asked immediately, sensing their discomfort.  
  
"Something big is going down." Michael declared, refusing to sit down and relax. He was going to tell Max as much of the truth as possible without letting him know of anything about Tess.  Why he was lying to his best friend was beyond him.    
  
"What exactly do you mean by _big_?" Max asked, looking somewhat uninterested.  
  
"As in big army, big bad enemies, _big_ that we can't handle." Michael declared.  _So far, so good._  
  
"Oh." Max said skeptically.  
  
"Oh?" Kyle echoed.  
  
Michael shot him a look that said, _don't piss him off_. "Max, I suggest we leave Roswell immediately." Michael insisted.  
  
"I thought we were going to do something to get rid of it." Max stated, looking at them suspiciously. For someone, who was being passive these few days, he wasn't acting like it anymore.  
  
"Look, Max, we don't think that's a good idea." Kyle declared.  
  
Max looked at him skeptically, mentally wondering on why he was here and how Kyle knew about this before he did.  
  
"Kyle's right. It's not a good idea. We're not powerful enough for this. Look, we have an informant. He said-" Michael began to explain but Max cut him off.  
  
"Since when did you have an informant?" Max demanded.  
  
"A month or so." Michael lied smoothly.  
  
Max sighed disapprovingly. "And why is it that I wasn't told about this?" He asked, annoyed that he had been left out.  
  
"Well, you've been a little preoccupied lately."    
  
Max glared at him slightly, not liking the tone he was using. Something felt strange about Michael's sudden information.  It did not sit well with Max at all.  
  
"What's this informant's name?" Max inquired.  
  
"Dylan." Michael replied. So far, everything was going according to plan. Max was slowly beginning to believe them.  
  
"A human?"  
  
"Hybrid." Kyle whispered.  
  
"A _skin_ then." Max corrected warily.  
  
Michael shook his head. "No, not skin. A hybrid like us." Michael clarified.  
  
"I want to meet him."  
  
"He's dead." Kyle quickly said. "We found his body where we were supposed to meet him. We think that his bosses we're catching on."  He explained so that Max would not ask to much already.    
  
"Why would they kill him instead of bait us?" Max questioned them suspiciously.  He looked at Michael, then Kyle, then back to Michael again.  
  
"That's something we don't know. But before he died, he called us and said that he was really important and very dangerous."  Michael explained.    
  
"And I'm supposed to listen to a dead guy's warning who was probably our enemy trying to deceive us?"  
  
Michael sighed, feeling impatience creep up on him. "Max, we trusted this guy. He was loyal to the royal four."  
  
"Well people tend to betray us these days." Max said bitterly and neither Kyle nor Michael knew what to say.  They knew he was talking about Tess and bringing her name up was making them even more edgy.  
  
"Maxwell, listen-" Michael began but Liz ran in just in time and interrupted them.  
  
"I saw Tess." She gasped breathlessly.  
  
Michael and Kyle paled.  _This is not good.  _Michael silently told himself  
  
"Jesus." Kyle nervously whispered but no one heard him.  
  
Michael mentally made a note to thank Liz later for her great contribution to ruining the plan that took him and Kyle almost three hours to come up with.  
  
"What?" Max asked sounding shocked.  For a moment he looked hopeful.  
  
"She's dead, Liz." Kyle interrupted, his voice sounding more convincing that any of them anticipated.  
  
"No, you don't understand. I _saw_ her. I looked out the window of the Crashdown and I saw her just standing outside and then she disappeared." Liz explained.  
  
"Like a ghost?" Michael asked mockingly.  If that was what it took to get Max doubting Liz's claims, then he was willing to make Liz look stupid right now.  
  
Liz glared at him. "Whatever. I saw her." She argued.  
  
"That's not possible because our informant told us that she was dead." Kyle declared, coming up with the idea on the spot. Michael shot him a look. That was not part of the plan.  
  
"He said this?" Max asked.  
  
Kyle and Michael nodded somberly. _Please, let this work._  
  
Michael looked at his friend and replayed Tess' words in his head. Duty came before anything.  _Anything._  
  
He was assigned to guard Zan in his past life and now, he was asked to do the same again by his Queen. He had to watch over him. Max or Zan, whatever he was supposed to be called, was his king and best friend and like always, his life would come first.  
  
Michael was going to do anything to keep him safe even if it meant lying to him.  
  
"This doesn't sound right." Max mumbled. "I need to talk to Isabel." He said walking away. He needed to think, to sort everything out. Nothing was making sense.  
  
Something felt off. Kyle and Michael seemed suspicious and he didn't know whether to believe Liz.  
  
Tess was dead. Khivar would have no need for her. She was supposed to be dead.  
  
_Right?_  
  
"Max?" Kyle called after him.  "Just…we're in danger here. Think about that." He said hesitantly. He did not really know what to say. He just wanted to make sure.  
  
As much as he wanted to tell Max and save Tess from the evil clutches of the bad new king Khivar, he couldn't. He and Michael had weighed out their options already, ran through all the possible scenarios and they were sticking to not telling Max.  
  
They promised.  
  
And that was final.  
  
Five hours later, with Michael and Kyle still in the Evans' living room, Max walked in with Isabel.  
  
"We talked." He said indicating his sister who just nodded. "You're all right about this. We are in danger. Isabel has known for a while and she warned me but I didn't listen." Max sighed, feeling defeated.  
  
"You did?" Michael asked. _Crap_. Isabel knowing anything was not part of the plan.  
  
"Yeah, I had this bad feeling for a while; like a war is coming. And I've noticed that people have been following us." She said grimly.  
  
"Following us? When?" Kyle asked.  A third party could ruin everything.    
  
"Yeah. Just people. I don't know them but they're always where we are." She said, squinting her eyes as if trying to recall their faces.  
  
"This isn't good." Kyle said, more to Michael than the rest but it went unnoticed.  
  
Michael nodded grimly. "Where's Alex?" He asked, noticing that he was missing.  
  
"Home. He's packing." Isabel replied.  
  
"So, I guess we're definitely leaving." Michael stated, unable to believe it.  
  
Max nodded and said a small, "Yeah. Meet at the Crashdown in two hours. We're leaving Roswell tonight." He said and they all scattered to go about their own business and say good bye to the people that they were going to leave behind.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"You mind telling me what's going on?" Jim Valenti demanded anxiously as Kyle walked back and forth in his room, hurriedly shoving clothes into a relatively large duffel bag.  
  
"We're in danger. Got to leave Roswell." He replied cryptically. "I suggest you come with us." He said, looking over his shoulder.  
  
"You're hiding something." Jim whispered, his cop instincts kicking in. "I think I know you well enough to know when you're lying. Does this have anything to do with Tess?"  
  
At the mention of her name, Kyle stiffened and Jim immediately noticed it.  
  
"How about you explain it to me now, Kyle, because I'm not falling for this we're in danger crap. We're always in danger. Why leave now?"  
  
Kyle sighed deeply. _Great Buddha, give me strength to lie to my father_, he silently prayed as he turned to face him.  
  
"It does." He said, unable to believe that he just said that. "More or less. You remember Khivar right?"  
  
Jim nodded.  
  
"Well, Michael and I found out that he's back and he's going to kill Max." The words came easier than he expected. "And we can't fight them. We're not ready. We're not strong enough." He added.  
  
"So you're going to run? It isn't like Max to run from his problems."  
  
"Well, things change, Dad. So do people.  And we all believe that _this_ is the best solution." Kyle said defensively.  "Our _only_ solution."  He added, hoping that it would do the trick.    
  
"Is she back?" Jim suddenly asked and for a moment Kyle panicked.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked. He was going to play this off, fool his father.  
  
"Tess."  
  
"She's dead, remember?" Kyle icily said continuing to pack his things. "Dad, can you just start packing?" He asked, sounding more irritated that he had intended.  
  
"I never believed that she was dead." Jim declared before walking away.  
  
"Great." Kyle mumbled.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Jim Valenti looked over at Kyle who was looking out the window quietly. Liz, Maria and Isabel were all huddled in the back, all lost in thought.  
  
Max, Alex and Michael were in Alex's jeep, all somber, refusing to talk to each other.  
  
They were all headed out of Roswell.  
  
Isabel had left a letter to the parents on behalf of herself and Max explaining everything except the alien part.  
  
She couldn't make herself say it. She was too damn afraid. Afraid that she might hurt them with the truth, that they might not love her anymore.  
  
She was leaving behind her whole life. Everything that she worked for, she was going to abandon. She had spent years building a life, trying the best she could to be normal, to be part of the rest of the world and now there was nothing.  
  
She was going to run.  
  
At least she was going to leave with her dignity and the people she cared about. At least she would always have Max and Michael and Alex and the rest of the gang.  
  
Strange how nothing mattered anymore except survival.  
  
"We'll be okay." Kyle whispered to her when he saw the look of worry on her face. He didn't just say it for Isabel but for the girls and his father and himself too. He truly wanted to believe that it was okay.  
  
That they were really safe but he knew they were far from that.  
  
It had been surprisingly easy to convince Max to leave Roswell. _Too easy._  
  
And nothing was _that_ easy.  
  
Michael knew it. He knew it and Max sure as hell knew it. There was more to their story.  
  
They were all in danger and no matter where they run, no matter how far it is, their problems would always catch up with them.  
  
They were just buying themselves time before the whole truth comes out and then their world would fall apart again.  
  
Max was going to be furious. He was never going to forgive them for lying and if he did, he was going to make them work for it.  
  
Kyle sighed, wondering if Michael was thinking of the same thing.  
  
They didn't even know where they were going. Just leave Roswell. That was the plan.  
  
_What then?  
  
No one knew._  
  
He hoped Michael was coming up with a plan or even Max. He was the leader but he was blinded from the truth right now so Rath or Michael will have to take over, even without Max's knowledge.  
  
He knew the bigger picture. He knew the truth.  
  
Kyle's mind drifted back to Tess. He hoped she was okay. There were things that he and Michael talked about. Things they wanted to ask her.  
  
How she was. _What happened? Where was the baby? And why? Why this? Why that_?  
  
But they didn't have time. Their days were numbered.  
  
Kyle exhaled; his nervousness obvious to everyone around him.  
  
They were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.


	5. Friends And Foes Alike

A/N: SORRY BUT I RAN OUT OF IDEAS FOR A FEW DAYS AND SINCE THERE'S NO SCHOOL TODAY I DECIDED TO UPDATE. I HAD TO GET THEM TO FACE EACH OTHER. WELL MAX AND TESS DON'T ACTUALLY SEE EACH OTHER IN THIS CHAPTER BUT IT'S A START. I PROMISE THEY WILL IN THE NEXT. I KNOW I SUCK. I KEEP DRAGGING THE THING BUT IT WILL GET BETTER. MORE REVIEWS PLEASE. ENJOY.  
  
DISCLAIMER: NOTHING STILL BELONGS TO ME.  
  
~*~  
  
Michael's senses kicked in as he heard the screeching of the tires and engines revving behind them. He looked back instantly and saw that there were two motorcycles and a car speeding towards them.  
  
"Shit!" He hissed. By then, the commotion had caught everyone's attention and he was looking over at Kyle at the other car, who seemed to be telling his dad to pull over.  
  
"Don't pull over!" Isabel yelled from the back seat but her protests were useless since two figures on motorcycles stopped right in front of them, blocking the other side with the car.  
  
"What's going on?" Alex asked. No one answered him but from the looks on Max and Michael's face, this was definitely not good. He looked over at Kyle in the other car who was now scowling with his arms crossed in front of him.  
  
Max leapt out of the car, followed by Michael to face the two strangers. They were wearing helmets covering their faces.  
  
"What you do want?" Max demanded.  
  
The two figures refused to answer but the taller one pulled a gun and aimed it a Michael's forehead. "You. Follow me." He ordered gruffly, shoving Michael in front of them rather roughly.  
  
Michael growled tempted to use his lethal powers, annoyed that he was being pushed around.  
  
"Don't do anything funny, Rath." The other figure who sounded very much like a woman, said when they were out of earshot from Max.  
  
Michael looked at the two of them imploringly. _Rath_? She had just called him Rath.  
  
How was that possible?  
  
"What are you?" Michael demanded. There was something uncanny about the two of them. Something very suspicious.  
  
Both of them pulled their helmets off revealing a man and woman a few years older than he was.  
  
"What else? Hybrids of course." The woman replied in a clipped tone.  
  
Michael's heart leapt. This was all wrong. What _the hell was going on? Were they Khivar's assassins?_  
  
"You're the enemy." Michael growled, getting ready for an attack.  If this was the end, then he was either going to win or go down with a fight.  
  
The man looked at him stonily, not budging an inch. "On the contrary." He said his voice stern.  
  
"What do you want?" Michael insisted. He didn't like being kept hostage and he was starting to worry about the rest of his friends.  
  
"Your safety. Stay away from Alamogordo. Go to Carlsbad and then Texas. Go far from Roswell." The man ordered.  
  
"You tell that to Max." Michael scoffed, looking over at his friend who was watching them from far away, suspicion written all over his face  
  
The woman looked back at Max. "Zan is a liability right now. He does not understand. _You_ do. Keep your promise Rath. Keep Zan and Vilandra safe." She said.  
  
"Who are you?" Michael demanded but before either of them could answer, Isabel's voice pierced through the eerie night, yelling for him and Max.  
  
They were under attack.  
  
Michael ran towards his friends, the man and woman right beside him.  
  
"Form a perimeter around them!" The man ordered and two other men dressed in black stormed out of the car that was barricading them, forming a circle around the group.  
  
The group started firing, using their weapons, their powers, revealing their cover.  
  
In an instant, everything was turned into chaos and no one could tell who the enemies were.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Max yelled at Michael as he raised his hand to shield them.  
  
Kyle, Jim, Liz, Alex and Maria were standing in the circle protected by their alien friends.  
  
Michael ignored him, concentrating on keeping them alive. But in the end, despite the number of people on their side, their efforts were still useless. They were out numbered two three to one and they couldn't protect themselves without getting one of their friends hurt.  
  
The man and woman who previously spoke to Michael were on the ground, bloodied, mangled and dead.  
  
They were all taken captive and were shoved into the back of a van, their hands tied on their back by a strange metal.  
  
"Michael, what the hell is going on? Who were those people?" Max demanded. He could see that Michael was lying or at least hiding something.  
  
That man and woman were protecting them. Or at least tried to.  
  
"I don't know." Michael answered lowly.  
  
But he had an idea. Tess must have sent them to protect Max, himself and Isabel. It was possible that she did that.  
  
"What did they say?"  
  
Nothing. Michael refused to speak.  
  
He looked away from Max, not wanting to tell him anything. He had to think. Maybe this was a good time to tell Max the truth. He should know. But what about the promise? What if they got out of this and there was no need to know about Tess' return?  
  
"You're lying!" Max accused furiously. "Don't think I'm stupid! You and Kyle, you've been lying! I can read you two like a book!" He yelled angrily.  
  
Michael said nothing. He felt so damn guilty that he might as well have blurted out the whole truth but he didn't.  
  
He just looked over at Kyle who was staring at the floor of the van, refusing to make eye contact.  
  
"Kyle." Jim Valenti said, nudging his son.  
  
"We should figure out how to get out of here." He said, refusing to join in the tense conversation. "Then later, we can all sit around and blame each other, okay."  
  
"Max is right. You're lying." Isabel said angrily. "You two have been acting strange form the beginning. Nothing adds up." She accused.  
  
"We're _not_ lying." Kyle protested; adamant of keeping their cover.  
  
Michael opened his mouth to say something to Max but the van came to a halt and the doors swung open and they were all were dragged out and blindfolded.  
  
In the background, Max could hear the faint of voice of someone very, very familiar.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Khivar smiled as the van pulled over and his men dragged eight people out of the van.  
  
"The plan is working just great." He grinned to himself as he stepped outside and motioned to take them into the warehouse.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Max struggled for a minute, trying to break free from his captor's hold but the man or whatever he was, was strong.  
  
They were shoved into a room, Max, Michael and Isabel in one and the rest of them in another.  
  
"Max?" Isabel's frightened voice rang out.  
  
"It's okay, Izz." Max said; trying to stay strong for his sister.  
  
"Where are we?" She asked, her voice small and frightened. She couldn't stand up because her hands were tied and she would lose he balance and she was blindfolded. "The floor is cold." She added.  
  
"I don't know." Max answered. He really had no idea and it was scaring him. Having no control over what was happening frightened him.  
  
He felt paranoid, afraid, betrayed, angry, scared.  
  
Michael stayed where he was, listening to them, refusing to say anything.  
  
"I'm betting you know about this." Max's accused him angrily.  
  
"It's my fault. I should have told-"  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, the door creaked open and Max was pulled off the ground and all Michael and Isabel could hear were the sounds of struggling and Max being beaten to death.  
  
Half an hour later, Isabel was crying by then, her body shaking from her hysterical sobs despite her shame from being so fragile.  
  
Michael felt the urge to stand up and fight for Max, to help his best friend and king but he couldn't. Another person had come in a few minutes later and started working on him.  
  
His tied hands were put above him and he was hanging from a hook, his feet barely touching the ground, making his arms hurt.  
  
The brutal punches came, followed by the hard baseball bat that was smashed against his back, making him whimper from the searing pain that had engulfed half his body.  
  
The blows that were given to him started to become deafening, mixed in with the ones that Max was receiving. Somewhere, he could hear Isabel, crying, struggling, and asking for their help.  
  
"If you hurt her, I'll kill you." He heard Max threaten the unseen man weakly.  
  
The man said nothing, just snickered and hauled Isabel out of the room.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
She was forced to sit on a chair, her hands still tied together. She could hear footsteps, muffled voices and opening and closing of doors.  
  
Her blindfold was harshly removed, making her strain to see from the blinding light. She blinked for a few minutes, her eyes adjusting.  
  
A man stood in front of her, his face sinister; a scowl pasted on his lips.  
  
"My Vilandra." He said, grinning like a maniac.  
  
Isabel winced, moving her face away from his hand when he reached to caress her cheek.  
  
"Khivar." She said hoarsely, cringing from the coldness of his skin that gave her memories of the torrid past that they shared. "You bastard." She hissed coldly.  
  
"Missed me, my dear?" He asked in a sing song voice, as he circled around her and removed the handcuffs that restrained her. She leapt from her seat and away from him, her eyes shining from the hate and fear that ran within her.  
  
She hated him. He was the man that destroyed her family, destroyed her, caused her to betray that people that she loved most.  
  
Khivar walked towards her but was interrupted by the door suddenly bursting open.  
  
"Khivar, what is going on-" Tess' voice trailed off when she saw Isabel, standing there, with her back pressed against the wall, looking frightened and trapped.  
  
Isabel's eyes' narrowed. "_You_!" She hissed. "You? You're alive! You're part of this? You bitch!" Isabel darted towards her, ready to attack Tess but Khivar caught her wrist, and held on to it tightly.  
  
"_Don't_ touch my wife." He warned dangerously, possessiveness glinting in his eyes.  
  
Isabel's eyes widened from the shock. She looked from Khivar to Tess who seemed frightened and guilty.  
  
"Max was right all along. You _did_ betray us." She declared angrily, her voice filled with the new hate that she just found for Tess.  
  
_How could she?  
  
How could she side with the enemy? How could she betray Max who loved her?_ She was supposed to be loyal, to be honest to them forever.  
  
She lied to them. Again! She tricked them, made them feel sorry for her. Isabel's blood boiled at the thought of it.  
  
The image of Tess sacrificing herself for their safety was forever tainted and never in her life did Isabel feel more hurt and cheated.  
  
When this is over, she swore to herself that she was going to kill Tess.  
  
Tess watched her cautiously. Isabel was angry and hurt and very, very misled. She backed away, giving Khivar a warning look telling him to back off and not hurt her or else.  
  
She wanted to explain to Isabel, make it clear to her but she couldn't. Not with Khivar in front of them. If he knew, then they were all dead. She might as well have killed them herself and not sacrificed her life and her son's for their safety.  
  
No. This was going to work. She had to make it or everything she had done would all be in vain and Antar or the Royal Four would be just a faint memory in their already tarnished history.  
  
Tess smiled, hoping that it would pass. "Good to see you, Vilandra." Her voice was cold, not revealing her innermost fears and regret. If only Isabel knew what she was thinking. Knew of how guilty and afraid she was. But she didn't and it was going to stay that way. She turned her lovely face to Khivar, her smile growing wider, her eyes twinkling, hiding the deception behind them. She leaned close to him. "You take good care of my ex-sister-in-law." She whispered coolly before she left the room, the sound of her pounding heart so deafening that she thought she was going to pass out.  
  
Khivar grinned, pleased with what was occurring with the two women. It was so obvious that Isabel or Vilandra hated his new queen. And that hate was reflected back. If he wanted to watch Isabel tear Tess apart, he could, but his plan was bigger and he needed to keep them alive.  
  
For now.


	6. Where Loyalties Lie

A/N: HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. I'D LIKE TO THANK LISA WHO UNFORTUNATELY WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO REVIEWED CHAPTER FIVE. ANYWAY, IM HOPING MORE PEOPLE REVIEW THIS TIME BECAUSE LIKE I SAID ON MY OTHER FICS; I WRITE MORE WHEN MORE PEOPLE REVIEW. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO ABANDON THIS OR TAKE THIS OUT-JUST ABOUT BUT THANKS TO LISA, I WROTE ANOTHER CHAPTER. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. MAYBE I'LL POST UP MORE.  
  
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED BEFORE. ANYWAY, ENJOY, AND HOPEFULLY, REVIEW.  
  
~*~  
  
"Your wife?" Isabel asked Khivar in disbelief the minute Tess was out of the room.  
  
Khivar nodded; a pleased and proud smile on his face. "She's a wonderful Queen." He declared.  
  
"I bet she is." Isabel said angrily.  
  
"Don't be jealous, Vilandra. Maybe, just maybe, you'll have your turn." He said, his voice hinting a hidden promise that he refused to reveal.  
  
"I am _not_ Vilandra and I would never join sides with you. You're evil." Her voice was cold as ice as she backed away from him, cringing from his touch.  
  
"Would evil turn a shattered and broken planet into a prosperous flourishing land? Would evil save the people from oppression, from defeat?" He asked. "I'm not evil, Vilandra. Even Ava has been proud. Antar lives. Just like the Royal Four has wanted. Shouldn't you be happy?" He asked.  
  
"Not when it's going to cost my family's lives." She declared.  
  
"Ah, always selfish. My darling Vilandra never changes, not even with the human half inside you." He smirked. "You and Ava have many things in common. You both betrayed your family for me."  
  
"And I have always regretted that."  
  
"Have you?" He asked. "Your little betrayal gave you a second chance in life. You get to live twice. Different each time."  
  
"It doesn't compare. I know now what I did and I would never repeat it. I am not like her." She declared; her voice laced with venom as she referred to Tess.  
  
"Oh, but you are. Trust me on that." He spoke up.  
  
"_Never_! What do you want from me anyway? You know that I would never help you. If you're so powerful now, if you're already king, why do we still matter?" She demanded hatefully. "Are you that insecure that you need to destroy three insignificant lives that can't even get to Antar and rise up against you?"  
  
"Oh, you don't matter. Not that much anyway. But I like to clean the mess I've started. I want a good finish." He replied cryptically.  
  
"So you want to kill us." She stated; her voice betraying her by showing him that she was afraid.  
  
"Yes and no." He answered as he calmly paced around the room. "I need Ava. She's always been important to me, and our son." He grinned, waiting for her reaction, for the shocked looked on Isabel's face. "As for the rest of you, well, you'll soon find out."  
  
"You're lying." She said trying to convince herself with her words but the look on Khivar's face told her otherwise.  
  
He was telling the truth. Tess really did betray Max. Betrayed all of them. Isabel had hoped that she was wrong.  
  
But Tess chose Khivar's side, became his queen and apparently also the mother to _his_ child. A child that would follow after his father and would cause the end of them for good.  
  
"And Max's baby?" She managed to choke the words out. She had to know.  
  
"He's gone. _Dead_. A little catch in the deal." Khivar said matter-of- factly, showing no remorse at all.  
  
Isabel gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
_How could she? How could she destroy her own child?_  
  
It didn't make sense.  
  
"You can always join us. The two most powerful women in Antar by my side. We would make a wonderful team." He offered slyly.  
  
"I would rather die first."  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Don't say I didn't ask nicely." He said, shaking his head at her.  
  
He suddenly called for a guard who immediately appeared and dragged Isabel out of the room and shoved her back in the cell where her brother and Michael laid on the floor, broken and battered, fighting for their lives as they slipped in and out of consciousness.  
  
Isabel began to cry as she kneeled towards Max, holding his weak, bleeding body in her arms, rocking him like a baby, wanting to take all the pain away from her brother.  
  
_He didn't deserve this. Wasn't it enough that he lost his child and wife whom he both evidently loved? Why did Tess have to betray him? Why did she have to make them suffer by showing her treachery to them, by rubbing it in his face?_  
  
If Max found out that Tess was alive, then a small spark of hope would live inside him, only to be quickly diminished by the truth. His wife betrayed him, not once but twice. She sided with the enemy, played them as pawns, watched as they were tortured and enjoyed it. Isabel continued to sob, kissing her brother's hair, praying that they die a quick death already.  
  
Despite their differences, despite her want to stay on earth and live a normal life, Max was still her brother and she still loved him.  
  
She heard Michael groan behind her and she looked back, her tears increasing as she watched him.  
  
He looked nothing like the boy she grew up with. His face was swollen and cut and bleeding, his arms twisted in an abnormal way and Isabel see that his left side seemed to sink lower than the other, probably from a broken rib.  
  
"Michael?" She asked, wanting him to answer her, to give her a sign that he was still breathing, still alive. "Michael?" She repeated as she crawled towards him, gently laying Max down on the floor.  
  
"I should have told you." He managed to choke out the words, blood gushing from his mouth. His struggled with ragged breaths as he tried to say more, to explain it to her. "I'm sorry. Tess…she…tried…protect…Max…us." He said, gasping for air as he held on to her. "I…promised…not…tell…no choice."  
  
She shook her head at him, trying to wipe the blood from his eyes so he could see. "Don't talk." She said, trying to be brave, but she couldn't help it. She was crying again and she cursed for not being strong enough. "Michael, it wasn't your fault. She tricked you. All of us. She lied."  
  
"No!" He protested weakly, his eyes looking up at her pleadingly, asking her to listen to him, to believe him.  
  
"She tricked you. This was her plan. Hers and Khivar's. I saw her. Them." Isabel insisted, her anger rushing back to her the minute the thought of Tess came up.  
  
"Never…Tess wouldn't…do…that…hates…Khivar." He tried to explain but it seemed useless since he barely made sense.  
  
Still he had to try.  
  
"Shh, Michael. I know enough." She said stroking his hair with her bloodstained fingers. His blood. His and Max's. "Save your breath." She whispered.  
  
No matter what their past was, no matter who they were; Vilandra and Rath or not, this boy was her brother. She didn't care what the prophecies said, what the book told them. She had grown up with him and they were as good as siblings, blood or not.  
  
And there was only one thing she knew. Tess hurt them and she was going to make her pay. Isabel was going to live through this, and she was going to vent out all her anger on Tess or Ava.  
  
She was going to hunt her down, no matter how long it took. No matter what others may say.  
  
Tess was going to pay for this.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Kyle sat quietly, his back pressed against the cool metal wall, as he tried to listen to whatever it was outside. Unlike Max, Michael and Isabel, he and the rest of those who were in the same room as him were fine.  
  
"You know something. Start talking." Jim Valenti demanded fiercely.  
  
"I don't know anything." He lied.  
  
"You're lying and I think it's about time you came clean." Maria declared; her voice filled with so much anger that for a second Kyle was somewhat afraid of her.  
  
"No."  
  
"Kyle, we are in danger here. Stop Lying!" Liz ordered angrily.  
  
"God dammit, I'm not lying!"  
  
"But you're hiding something." Jim argued.  
  
Kyle sighed, feeling as if this was a losing battle. His father and friends were on to him, demanding that he tell them whatever it was that he knew. He frantically searched for some excuse in his head, wishing that Michael was here to help him out, back him up in their plan.  
  
"Start talking, Kyle. We don't have much time. We don't even know what is happening to Isabel, Max and Michael." Liz said firmly.  
  
Kyle sighed deeply and began to talk. He had no other choice left. It seemed that they had already lost. He might as well be honest with them.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Tess sat quietly, her small delicate hands clasped together as she listened to the tick tock of the clock in front of her. She looked back at the obviously unmade bed, shivering at the thought oh Khivar touching her.  
  
She _slept_ with him.  
  
Not once but three times. She cringed, remembering the sickening feeling that crept up on her whenever the image of Khivar came up. Luckily, he wasn't in the room. After he was done with her, he had left, without saying another word. He just smiled at her, an evil sinister smiled that said,_I__ won. You're mine._  
  
Tess felt extremely filthy.  _Tainted_.   She could not have stooped any lower if she tried.  She would never have done it if she had another option. But the choice between life and death was placed on her conscience and she made a decision.  
  
She wasn't about to regret it now.  
  
_You'll be sorry Khivar. Trust me on that_, Tess thought as she sighed, looking at the clock one more time. She was waiting.  
  
Waiting for what seemed like an eternity.  
  
She heard Lex's cry and she immediately stood up, scooping him from his crib, gently rocking him.  
  
"It's okay, baby." She whispered, kissing her son's hair. "It's almost over." The door swooshed open and she heard hasty footsteps approach her.  
  
Tess waited as the man approached her, her hands slightly shaking; her face pale.  She couldn't stop herself from trembling.  
  
"It's done." He said; his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
She nodded at him, sighing shakily, handing the child over to the man whom she entrusted her life and her son's as well.  
  
"You know what to do." She said whispered, searching for reassurance in his eyes.  Tess touched her little boy, pained to see him go.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be safe?" He asked her worriedly.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Get out of here." Her voice was hushed and hasty, panic filling every word she said.  
  
The man nodded obediently, casting one last worried look at his queen before slipping out of the room and into the dark treacherous night.  _Be safe.  Please be safe.  _She silently prayed.  
  
Tess watched as she saw the beginning sparks of a flame outside the house, smelling the smoke surround them. She could hear panic outside her door, men running everywhere.  
  
She nodded, knowing exactly when to move. She dashed out of the room, evading any men she saw, especially Khivar. She ran to the warehouse, slipping behind the guards, firing a bullet in the back of their heads.  
  
She could have used her powers, could have easily thrown them across the room but that wasn't enough. She needed them dead and a bullet seemed to be the answer.  
  
She unlocked the door, revealing Kyle and Jim Valenti, Maria, Alex and Liz.  
  
"Get out!" She ordered before any of them could utter a word. They seemed dazed, as if not able to process her words, not able to understand why she was setting them free.  
  
"Where are Max, Michael and Isabel?" Kyle asked hastily, the only one understanding what was happening.  
  
"I don't know. I didn't see them." She answered as she began walking in long strides, searching for a door.  
  
They reached the end of the corridor and found the only door and she yanked it open with great force, breaking the lock that held it together.  
  
Tess gasped the minute she saw what was inside. Michael and Max were sprawled on the floor, their bodies still and probably dead. Isabel was in the corner, looking dazed and partially insane.  
  
Jim and Alex immediately ran to Michael; cautiously lifting his frail body up, supporting it with their strength while Tess ran to Max; Kyle helping her stand him up.  
  
The girls took care of Isabel who began weeping again, her cries filled with anguish. She hadn't seen Tess yet.  
  
They ran to the get away van which was conveniently parked in the middle of the corn field, behind the warehouse, just a few minutes away; hiding them perfectly.  
  
They slipped in, laying Max and Michael on the floor, while Alex drove; trying to understand what was going on, but not daring to ask someone for any explanation. He had faith in Tess. She would explain it to them.  
  
"Tess, what happened?" Kyle asked as they continued to drive further away from Alamogordo.  
  
"I waited too long. I…I didn't know." She whispered brokenly, fighting back the tears.  She looked at Max with a guilty expression on her face.  "This wasn't the plan."  
  
"What _exactly_ was the plan?" Isabel asked dangerously as she sat away from her now new enemy.  
  
"Isabel, I never meant this." Tess tried to explain but she stopped, from loss of words. Her mind seemed to have malfunctioned, unable to make out words, to form some sort of reasonable explanation.  
  
Everything had gone horrible wrong.  
  
"No, the plan was to watch all of us being tortured to death and then you play hero." Isabel growled.  
  
"Isabel."  
  
"If they die, I _will_ kill you." She threatened gravely. Isabel was so angry, her anger mixed with worry and fear and hate. She could have easily lunged at Tess, ripped the much smaller girl into pieces, broken every piece of bone in her body but she didn't. Not with Max and Michael lying on the floor, barely alive. This simply was not the best place to do anything rash.  
  
Three hours later, they found a hospital, rushed Max and Michael into the emergency room and waited.  
  
They knew they were taking a tremendous amount of risk but they had no choice. Their alien powers could have helped them heal but Max was too weak to even heal himself. And Tess and Isabel were not capable of healing, not even with all their power.  
  
They waited in the lobby for what seemed like forever, many of them taking uncomfortable positions to try to get some rest, some sleep but it didn't come.  
  
Their minds were filled with too much worry to give them enough peace to rest for a few hours.  
  
Isabel was sitting next to Alex who had his arm supportively around her. She wasn't talking; wasn't even paying attention to Tess. She just stared at the bleak, white wall, sighing once in a while, opening her mouth to say something but always closing it back and then returning to her silent vigil.  
  
Maria and Liz were huddled together, talking in hushed whispers, their eyes closed, trying desperately to sleep and comfort each other. Still nothing made sense but at least they were alive and still best friends, still together.  
  
Jim Valenti sat like a worried father, his gaze falling on each of them, sighing with worry as he waited for the doctor like the rest of them. He had paced for an hour around the halls nervously, walking up and down, going in and out of the cafeteria, asking them if they need anything.  
  
As usual, they all shook their heads and said nothing.  
  
Tess was on the farthest end of the hall, hugging herself tightly as her body shook from unnoticeable tremors. She didn't know whether they were from worry or something else.  
  
Kyle was a few feet away from her, seated on a rather comfortable couch watching her cautiously, maybe from fear that she might run or from the worry that there was something wrong with her.  
  
She looked uncharacteristically pale, shaking once in a while, taking deep breaths.  
  
"Tess, sit with me." He said moving over to give her more space beside him.  
  
She shook her head, another deep breath. "Can't."  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked fearfully, worry and concern marring his face.  
  
"Kyle, do I look okay? They could die and it's all my fault." She snapped leaning against the hard wall.  
  
"Hey, stop blaming yourself. Now is not the time. Max needs you." Kyle stated sincerely.  
  
She shook her head again, her eyebrows creasing into a frown. "He doesn't need me. Never did."  He voice was tinged with slight bitterness, perhaps even disappointment.    
  
"Tess-"  
  
Suddenly, the emergency room slammed opened and like in the movies, everything seemed to move in slow motion. The two doctors that emerged spoke but Tess was too far to hear them and she knew that Max and Michael were okay from the relieved look on everyone else's face.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Max woke up, groaning from the pain all over his body and the strange numbness that also came with it. He opened his eyes, adjusting to the bright light that seeped through the thin white cotton curtains.  
  
"Max, you're awake." Isabel said, sleepily; relief and worry crossing her eyes.  
  
"I feel like I've been hit by a truck." He smiled weakly.  
  
"We were so worried." She said starting to tear up again and she laughed uneasy despite herself.  
  
"Where's Michael?" He asked, looking around worriedly.  
  
"Still out." Isabel answered looking over to her left. Michael's bed was positioned right next to Max and as expected he was lying there, still unconscious but breathing on his own, an IV and heart monitor attached to him.  
  
"Is he okay?"  
  
Isabel nodded.  
  
"What happened? How did we get out?" He asked, thoroughly confused.  
  
Isabel sighed, brushed a shaky hand through her blond tresses and looked up at him apprehensively.  
  
"There's something you should know." She started but before she could go in, Liz and Maria interrupted and soon after, everyone stormed in to great him, crowding the relatively large room.  
  
"How are you?" Jim Valenti asked.  
  
"Bad but I think I'll heal fast." Max smiled and so did Jim, knowing full well what he meant.  
  
"Max, don't, you just came out of surgery." Isabel protested apprehensively.  
  
"Isabel, I'm not going to sit here for weeks knowing full well that I can leave right now." Max said, surprising everyone. He was usually the one who covered up their tracks, who wanted to be cautious.  
  
"But the doctors-"  
  
"We'll take care of it later." He smiled reassuringly and she nodded, obviously letting him have his way.  
  
"If you say so." She said, leaning back on Alex.  
  
Max nodded, pressed his hand on his chest and waited for his powers to take effect. It took longer than expected but a few minutes later, somewhat frustrated, he was able to stand up. No visible marks of injury, except for relatively small healed scars, on his body.  
  
He ushered them outside, dressed and walked over to Michael and used his strength to heal his friend.  
  
"Hey, you okay?" Max asked with a small smile as Michael woke up.  
  
"Where are we?" He asked, feeling slightly disoriented and out of place.  
  
"Hospital. Don't ask. No one told me." Max said softly. "Get dressed. We're leaving. They're all already heading out." He said motioning to the door.  
  
"Ok, give me a sec." Michael replied as he swung his leg to the other side, found his clothes and changed while Max turned his back.  
  
They walked out of their rooms, Max slightly limping and Michael still somewhat sore.  
  
"So where do we go now?" Michael asked, a million thoughts going through his head. He needed to find Kyle, get some answers and quick.  
  
It unnerved him to just wake up and not remember anything except for being dragged into what seemed like a van. After that, everything was a blur.  
  
Max suddenly, stopped dead in his tracks as he and Michael came face to face with a relatively small blonde looking just as shocked to see them standing.  
  
"Tess." Max could barely breathe as he gasped out her name.  
  
~*~  
  
A.N: I DIDN'T WANT TO DRAG THAT TOO LONG SO I GOT THEM OUT OR RESCUED, WHICHEVER. AND FACE TO FACE. HOPEFULLY YOU LIKED IT. I WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS (IF I ACTUALLY GET MORE REVIEWS THIS TIME). SO, REVIEW ALREADY.  
  
SORRY IF IT'S TOO LONG.


	7. Questions And Confessions

A.N: SO I'M CONTINUING THIS FIC. I REALLY CANT JUST LEAVE IT HANGING. ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT. I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO START OFF FROM THE HOSPITAL SO HERE IT IS. HOPE IT MAKES SENSE. ANYWAY, MORE REVIEWS. I LIVE FOR THOSE. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Tess sat in the rather small and stuffy hotel room. She could barely recall how or when she got here from the hospital but she remembered the intense silence that fell over all of them. Max could barely stop himself from strangling her. He and Michael almost got into a fight and Isabel was ready to kill her by the time they reached the hotel.  
  
"Guys, I think we should just all get some rest." Michael suggested quietly, glancing over at Tess.  
  
Max shot him a look and Isabel glared at him. "And let her escape?" Isabel vehemently spat out. She had a bone to pick with Tess Harding and Isabel wasn't going to let her get away with what she did that easily.  
  
"If I wanted to run again I would have done so already." Tess said quietly without looking at any of them. She was feeling incredibly tired and all she wanted to do was say good bye to Max and leave already.  
  
"Shut up." Isabel hissed.  
  
"Isabel, stop it!" Michael said defending Tess. Isabel hadn't heard the whole story and yet she was ready and willing to crucify Tess without a second thought. Michael was sure that there was more to what she had told him. There had to be. Tess wouldn't go this far without a reasonable explanation.  
  
And only Max was getting the answers.  
  
"You don't even know what she did! You keep defending her after everything that she made us go through!" Isabel fought back, thinking of everything that Khivar had told her. Why was Michael defending her? If she didn't know better, Isabel would accuse him of betraying them too.  
  
"Enough. Leave us." Max ordered and Isabel started to protest but Michael pulled her away and closed the door.  
  
They needed to talk.  
  
Silence fell between them for what seemed like an eternity. Max was still standing in the middle of the room, his eyes locked on Tess while she sat on the bed, her back so straight it hurt. She was staring at the window, looking at nothing in particular.  
  
"Why did you do it?" Max finally spoke and she let a breath escape her.  
  
"I had no choice." She whispered stonily. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Despite her best intentions, she still felt that somehow she failed him, failed all of them.  
  
She could have told him that she did it because she loved him but she knew that would not do anything. Max wouldn't believe her.  
  
"You had a choice. You could have asked us for help.  Asked me." He said; his voice filled with so much anger and pain.  
  
"But I didn't."  
  
"No, you didn't." It was more of an accusation than a statement.  
  
She shook her head and looked down at her hands. "Why would I ask for you help when _you_ were the one I was trying to save?" She whispered. In her mind, it made sense. If only he could see it her way.  
  
"You sacrificed our child. _My_ child." He said angrily. "You didn't even bother to ask me." Other than the fact that she lied to him endlessly and got his friends to lie as well, it was the fact that she robbed him of his son that made him livid.  
  
"If I asked you, you would have put yourself in danger. You always did that and I couldn't. I knew that I couldn't." She answered firmly. As much as Tess wanted to make excuses, she didn't have the energy to do it.  
  
"But it was my child!" He yelled. She trembled at his voice. "You had no right to make such an important decision without asking me! You had no right to take our child's life away, even if it was for me."  
  
"I made a promise and I intend to keep it. Don't tell me how wrong I am." She suddenly got up and faced him. Tess could have told him then and there that he was wrong; that their son was alive and healthy but she didn't. Somehow, she wanted him to lash out at her. She wanted to see how far he would go with his anger.  
  
She looked so angry as she approached him that Max didn't know whether to be afraid. "Don't you dare berate me when everything that I've done if for you and your friends! Don't you dare yell at me when you have no idea what I went through for you! I practically died for you! No, wait, correction. I _did_ die for you and I am doing it _again_! When we were married I promised you that I would stand by you, protect our family, and our kingdom. And that is what I have done, Zan!"  
  
Max flinched at the name. He was not Zan. A part of him was Zan but he was still Max. But Tess had called him Zan. "Don't call me that." He said his voice tense.  
  
"_Zan_. Do you hate the name so much?" She asked indignantly, her deep blue eyes looking up at him. They seemed so empty. "Well, I don't care. Accept it because it's who you are. You may hate this destiny crap but you're Zan. Inside you, you're still Zan and a long time ago, you loved Ava.  You loved me." She whispered. 

She didn't even know why she said it. 

It was pointless.  
  
"Tess. We are not the same." He said grabbing her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. He wanted to slap some sense into her, make her hurt the same way she did him. But he couldn't bring himself to it. On the way here, his mind had been filled with so many scenarios, how he'd yell at her and get angry at her for everything that she did but somehow, for some strange reason, he was beginning to see her side.  
  
"Don't say that because if you're right then I've just wasted my time." She said pulling away as if burned. "Everything I've done will be in vain. All the time I had to play nice, all the time I had to pretend to like him, all the time I had to stop myself from coming back to Roswell and telling you the truth. No, Max, don't tell me we're different people now. We may be part human but inside, we are the people that we were decades ago. _The Royal Four_." She chuckled as she sat back on the bed, tears in her eyes. Tess closed her eyes as she hugged herself as if cold. "We're not so royal anymore, are we? And we're not exactly four since I am no longer your wife."  
  
Max was looking at her like she had lost her mind. She was speaking randomly, like her thoughts came in pieces and she made no sense. "What happened to you?" He asked in shock.  
  
"I married your enemy. That's what happened to me." She whispered sullenly. It hurt so much to say it that she could barely breathe. She was waiting for his outburst.  
  
"I expected you'd betray us sooner or later." He said. His voice was so cold that it took her aback. He hadn't meant what he said but it slipped and from the pained look in her eyes, he knew it hit home. He stopped thinking of her as a traitor a long time ago from everything that Alex told him, from Michael who tried to explain things to him but he wasn't about to tell her otherwise. He had too much pride to just forgive her and kiss and make up.  
  
No, he'd like to see her suffer a little. Grovel for forgiveness if possible.  
  
She got up from where she laid on the bed and looked at him. How _could he say that?_ Her eyes searched for some indication of forgiveness in his voice, something to tell her that he didn't really believe what he just said but there was nothing.  
  
Tess walked over to him, raised her right hand and slapped him across the face. "I do everything for you and still you see the wrong in it. I may never be able to explain my actions but I swear this to you. Everything and I mean every move; every thought; every disgusting thing I had to do with Khivar, I did for you! I gave my life away; I prostituted myself to the one man that I hate so that you would live! So that you would be happy here on Earth. I knew you wouldn't leave Earth, wouldn't leave _her_ so I saw no other option. I married him! I thought, maybe, just maybe if he had me and the heir of Antar, he'd be happy. He'd leave you alone but I was not enough! I'm never enough." She said breathlessly, her voice breaking at every word. She was looking at him angrily, all her energy put on her new found hate for him.  
  
Suddenly, she felt so alone.  
  
_You do a guy a favor and this is the thanks you get._ "But you don't have to worry because I made sure I finished my mess. I cleaned it up so that you, _oh great and wonderful leader of the gang here on Earth_, wouldn't have to lift a finger." She was practically yelling. Her voice was breaking but she wouldn't cry, not in front of him. Not even when the hurt was so unbearable that she just wanted to die right then and there.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked.  
  
"Don't you worry, Max. You can go back to your wonderful perfect world when this is all over." She smirked as she looked at the clock on the wall. "Two hours. It'll be over and you can live happily ever after with Liz Parker." She said throwing her hands in the air. "You can thank me now Max Evans because I won't be around to celebrate with you later. I still have things to do." Tess said as she headed for the door. It was over. She did not want to stay anymore and look at him.  
  
He had called her a traitor when every filthy, disgusting thing she did was for him. Her sacrifice was for him and he still condemned her.  
  
That was the last straw.  
  
"You're not leaving. I may not be able to forgive you right now for doing the things you did, for lying, for marrying Khivar but I don't want you to leave." He said standing in her way.  
  
Tess closed her eyes and exhaled. "Let me go, Max. I'll take it as a _thank you_ but I should really go now. Nice seeing you again. Sorry I didn't send you the divorce papers. I don't think we have divorce in Antar." She said dryly, a small sarcastic smile escaping her lips. She was being bitter and Max could hear it clearly in her voice.  
  
Max grabbed her by the shoulders again. "This is not a joke, Tess."  
  
"Who's joking and _don't_ call me Tess." She said slapping his hands away. "Don't call me Ava either. I'm thinking of getting a new name." She said as she stepped back from him. "Don't look so mad, Max. You should be happy. You finally know the truth. Your mortal enemy is gone and I am forever out of your way. Yippee." She said flatly.  
  
"You're not making any sense!" He argued.  
  
"And you're not listening! You want me to say I'm sorry? Well, I'm not. I'm not sorry for anything! I did what I believed was right and honestly, I don't give a damn about what you think anymore. I've served you long enough, your highness. You're safe. Now, give me my freedom." She said. When he didn't' say anything, Tess shook her head. "I can't win with you, can I?"  
  
"I loved you and you lied." He said bitterly.  
  
"Oh, don't even hold that against me. Don't give me that crap Max. I deserve better. Besides, if there was a part of you that loved me, it was Zan. Not Max Evans. I know that for sure." She said firmly. "Now, get out of my way."  
  
"No."  
  
"God dammit, Max, get out!" She yelled as she pushed him out of her way. Before her hands could reach the knob, Max grabbed her and locked the door.  
  
"I need to go!" She said fighting him off.  
  
"Go where Tess? Back to Khivar?" He demanded.  
  
Tess said nothing to indicate that he was right or wrong. She was just glaring at him angrily, her arms crossed defensively in front of her.  
  
"I don't owe you anymore explanations. I said more than I came to say. Now let me go!" She yelled. Her head hurt from yelling, from him yelling at her but if this is what it took for him to listen, then she was going to keep on yelling.  
  
"Yes, you do. You owe me a lifetime of explanations Tess and you're going to give it to me." He said authoritatively.  
  
Tess narrowed her eyes. "Says who?"  
  
"Says me. Now, sit down!" He ordered. Tess had never seen Max so furious at her but it was understandable considering what he went through.  
  
Tess refused to move. "For someone who is supposed to be the past and future ruler of Antar, you're incredibly stupid." She said. She was pushing his buttons.  
  
"Oh, am I? Care to explain to me why I am?" He said brusquely.  
  
"Because you're wasting your time Max when right now, you could be with your son." She said.  
  
Max almost fell over by her words. "What?" He managed to choke out. He prayed she wasn't bluffing; that this wasn't another one of her tactics.  
  
She nodded silently. "I named him Lex. In Earth years, he's almost two." She explained. Suddenly, the weight on her shoulders didn't feel so heavy anymore. At least now, Max knew everything.  
  
Max couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean-?"  
  
"No, he didn't die. See that was the plan. Deliver the baby to Khivar and he would raise it as his own. That way he has power as protector of the heir. Then he married me which was a big bonus." She said offhandedly. "It made him ruler. Big promotion if you ask me."  
  
"You didn't know if you were going to live?" He asked.  
  
"No." She whispered. "Max, is it just me or is it really cold in here?" She asked but he didn't answer.  
  
He was too lost in his thoughts. She hadn't killed his son. She had protected the baby and him at the same time. Everything started to fall into piece and it made sense. He sat there for the longest time, thinking, reevaluating everything she said. Tess had been telling the truth.  
  
"Tess, where is he now?" He suddenly asked, breaking his train of thought.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Tess?" He asked again, looking over at her. She was sprawled on the bed, her hair covering her face. He shook her softly but she didn't move. "Tess?" He said shaking her harder this time. He moved her hair from her face and saw that she looked completely drained of color. Her skin felt cold to his touch. "Michael!" He yelled and the door immediately burst open.  
  
Everyone came running inside.  
  
"What happened?" Michael asked, looking down at the unconscious Tess on the bed.  
  
"I don't know. She won't wake up." Max answered frantically as he lifted Tess' head.  
  
"How long has she been out?" Michael asked checking her pulse.  
  
"I don't know. Five…ten minutes." He answered unsurely.  
  
"Shit." Michael cursed. "She's not breathing. What did you do?" He asked as he looked at Max for answers.  
  
"_Nothing_. She was just…what's wrong with her?"  
  
"I don't know. Try healing her." Michael suggested and Max moved towards Tess and pressed his hand on her chest. Her skin felt unnervingly cold against his and he shuddered for a second. Max could feel the heat growing in his hands, his energy passing through her body and he saw flashes of memory, of the things that she did.  
  
Max gasped as he let go, feeling his breath escape him. "She poisoned herself." He said breathlessly. "My powers won't cure it." He said.  
  
"Did you see what kind of poison?" Jim Valenti asked.  
  
Max shook his head. "It's not from Earth. She used it to kill Khivar too."  
  
"Why would she poison herself?" Isabel asked, confused.  
  
"The poison needed a host and in order to pass it to Khivar, it had to be in her first." Max said stiffly. Max cringed. He had seen what she had to do, felt the repulse that she felt. It was horrible.  
  
"Pass it how?"  
  
"Sex."  
  
The room fell silent.  
  
"We can't just let her die." Kyle's strained voice interrupted.  
  
"We have no choice." Max whispered as he lifted Tess' frail body close to his. "We can't get the cure here. We won't get to Antar on time, even if we tried." He said. "She was trying to leave because someone else had to the cure. Someone was holding it for her and…I wouldn't let her go. I killed her."  
  
"Max." Isabel asked, still confused.  
  
"She never betrayed us. She even made sure that our son lived." He looked up at all of them, the sad truth finally dawning on them.  
  
Isabel watched in utter horror. She--they were so wrong. Again.  They had been wrong, even from the start. They were the traitors. They failed her.  
  
Now it was too late to say sorry.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: THIS CHAPTER PROBABLY SUCKED BUT OH WELL. ANYWAY, IF YOU GUYS DIDN'T GET WHY TESS IS SUDDENLY UNCONSCIOUS, HERE'S THE DEALIO: SHE TOOK POISON SO THAT SHE COULD POISON KHIVAR. THINK OF IT THIS WAY. IN EARTH ILLNESSES, IT WORKS LIKE AIDS, YOU GET IT INSIDE YOU AND YOU PASS IT TO ANOTHER PERSON AND BOOM, THEY GOT IT TOO. EXCEPT IN TESS' CASE, IT KILLS BOTH THE HOST AND VICTIM WAY FASTER. AND SHE WAS TRYING TO LEAVE BECAUSE SHE WAS TRYING TO GET THE CURE. DAMN MAX.  
  
PS. DON'T WORRY MAX WILL GET HIS SON AND I'M STILL THINKING WHETHER TESS SHOULD LIVE OR DIE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHICH DO YOU THINK WOULD MAKE HER MORE OF A MARTYR?? ANYWAY, NO REVIEWS, NO UPDATE..SO BASICALLY, THIS FIC IS HELD HOSTAGE.  
  
YEAH, IM CRUEL BUT I ALSO HAVE THE FLU AND I DID THIS WHILE I WAS HALF ASLEEP AND DELIRIOUS. YOU CAN THANK ME WITH YOUR REVIEWS.


	8. Cavalry

A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER EIGHT. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. I PUT MORE M&M LIKE TEFLON SUGGESTED. ID ALSO LIKE TO THANK WOLF BITCH FOR HER RATHER "FRIENDLY THREAT" WHICH MOTIVATED ME. ANYWAY, MORE REVIEWS OR THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL TAKE A LIFE TIME TO POSTUP. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Maria looked over at Michael. He looked so worried. More troubled than before and it was understandable.  
  
"She'll make it." Maria whispered as she reached over and took his hands into hers.  
  
Michael looked up at her, his eyes filled with concern and worry. "I doubt it." He said quietly, his voice strained. "If Max can't heal her, then there's no other choice." He didn't want to sound like he lost all hope but right now that was what he was feeling.  
  
Maria shook her head, her blonde hair spilling in front of her eyes. "You can't think that. We've gotten out of bigger messes, Michael." She said reassuringly.  
  
He shrugged his shoulders miserably. "I was supposed to protect her." He whispered as he pulled her closer to him for comfort.  
  
"Michael, you can't protect everyone. Tess made her choice. It's not your fault." She said, wanting to console him.  
  
"But still, I can't help but think that maybe, during the whole time I knew that she was alive, maybe I should have done something to make it better for her and Max. I knew she was putting herself in danger and I let her go on with it." He said. "I swore to her that I'd protect Max. I forgot that I was supposed to look after her too."  
  
"Michael, don't do this to yourself. If Tess does die, then make amends before it's too late. I don't believe she'll die though. She's too strong for that. You're all too strong to just die." She said, sounding more convincing that she expected.  
  
"For someone who's not a Tess fan, you sound awfully like you have a lot of faith in her." Michael declared, hinting no malice in his words.  
  
"I didn't say I hate her. I don't approve of the things she did. Lying, getting Alex, you, and Kyle to lie to all of us; siding with the enemy for a while. Besides, Liz is my best friend. I'm supposed to be on her side, remember?" She smiled softly.  
  
"This is the biggest mess that Tess has gotten herself into. I honestly doubt that she'll make it out of this. If there was something I could do..." Michael trailed off as he sighed exasperatedly.  
  
"We all want to save her yet there's nothing we can do." Kyle piped in as he took a seat on the rather uncomfortable bench across from the couple. _That_ was the biggest understatement of the day.  
  
They were outside the hotel room, all huddled together yet spread far enough to look like they weren't having a private conversation or plotting something.  
  
Michael sighed, not knowing what to say. He felt like a failure. He couldn't protect Tess in their past life, and he couldn't protect her now. He was supposed to be the guardian of the King and Queen, their most trusted and loyal warrior. He was supposed to be powerful; powerful enough to make sure that they lived to fulfill their destiny.  
  
But here he was, sitting next to his human girlfriend and human friend, feeling unbelievably weak.  
  
Michael knew that he loved Ava or Tess, whichever she was supposed to be. He knew that the Rath side of him cared about Ava, not like Zan had loved his wife but he loved her enough like family.  
  
And now he was going to lose her again. They all were.  
  
Michael knew how much that would hurt. He knew the feeling because he remembered, more than Max could. He remembered when Ava died years ago and it tore at all of them. He remembered crying for his friend, crying for the Queen that they lost and crying for the woman that he had grown to love as his little sister.  
  
Her death had been more brutal in the past but it did not mean that it made the pain any less. Michael let go of Maria's consoling hand, stood up and walked over to the room.  
  
Max was seated a few feet from the bed, his face buried in his hands while Tess laid on the bed, still unconscious.  
  
"Max." Michael said uncomfortably, clearing his throat.  
  
Max looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept in a decade.  
  
"Where's everyone?" He asked as if it mattered.  
  
"Kyle and Maria are outside, by the door. Liz and Sheriff Valenti went to get some food and Isabel and Alex are somewhere." He said, frowning a little.  
  
"Oh." Max said absently as he returned his gaze to Tess.  
  
"Can I have a moment with her?" Michael asked quietly and Max looked up as if realizing for the first time that he was in the room. Max sighed, not wanting leave Tess' side but letting Michael go anyway.  
  
Michael waited until Max was gone and the door was closed to sit down.  
  
"I don't know if you can hear me but I wanted to speak to you anyway." He started as he sat on the couch where Max had been. "Tess, we did a lot of things we regret but this is by far, the one thing I am the most sorry of. I should have told Max the truth. Maybe we could have avoided this. I know that I promised you that I'd protect him but he doesn't need me anymore. He needs you so don't die because although you did save his life, you aren't saving his soul." He said and for a few minutes, he paused. "Max's happiness is with you so live, please, for all of us. Don't fool yourself by believing that he doesn't love you because he does. He wouldn't be angry with you if he didn't care." He sighed again and walked over to the bed and took her limp hand and held it. "We all care. You were like a sister to me in Antar. You were family and I don't want to lose the only family I've got. Max told us that your son is alive. Live for him. He needs a mother." He said but he suddenly stopped, feeling that this was completely futile.  
  
No matter what he would say, no matter how much he pleaded, Tess wasn't going to live even if she chose to. It wasn't in her hands to decide that. The poison inside her held the power and Michael, for the first time in his life, prayed for a miracle. He didn't believe in God or practice religion but in this case, he was willing to make an exception.  
  
And he hoped someone up there heard him and would have pity.  
  
He shut his eyes, feeling sadness engulf him. He was already grieving her. Michael let go of her hand and walked out of the room, feeling guiltier than before. Once outside, he glanced over at his friends and family and looked away immediately, unable to show them the tears in his eyes.  
  
"I'm going for a walk." He said stonily and ran off before anyone could protest and stop him.  
  
Max watched Michael run off but said nothing. There was absolutely no point in speaking. Everyone could feel their grief.  
  
He stood up and returned to the room. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity, unable to muster that words that he long wanted to say to her. "I didn't want it to end like this." He finally spoke. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." He said sadly, his hands trembled as he fought back the urge to cry. "I know that I never thanked you so I'm thanking you now. You did a lot for me even when I didn't ask. You sacrificed everything for me when I'm not worth the trouble. And you were wrong Tess. I did love you. I still do. I don't know which part but I do love you."  
  
Max sniffled as he shut his eyes tightly, letting hot tears run down his cheeks. He sat on the bed next to her, his body aching from exhaustion. "I…I don't know whether you'll live or die but please know that I care, although I failed to show it. I know that I let you down in a lot of ways. I can't be the Zan that you remember and I can't love you like he did but if you make it out of this, I swear I'll try the best I can to live up to what I was." Max stopped, not knowing what else to say. He had apologized, thanked her, and professed his love. What else was there to do? He wished that his words could heal her; that his love would make her better but Max knew better.  
  
Their life was not a fairy tale. In fact, it was far from it. Tess was not Sleeping Beauty caught in a spell and his kiss wasn't going to wake her. No.  
  
It would take a miracle to save them now.  
  
************************************************************************

  
"Max, get out of here _now_!" Kyle yelled from outside and Max frowned for being interrupted but he got up anyway to see what was going on.  
  
"This better be good." Max mumbled as he yanked the door open.  
  
In front of him were Alex, Isabel, Maria and Kyle, a gun pointed to each of them. There were at least a dozen men surrounding them.  
  
Max gulped. _Could this day get any worse?_  
  
"Who are these people?" Max asked Isabel who looked frightened and pissed at the same time.  
  
"I don't know who they are. They just came up to us, pointed a gun at our heads and demanded to see you." She said.  
  
"See _Zan_." Alex corrected and Max could almost hear himself gasp. He turned to their captors.  
  
"What do you want?" He asked and the man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. Why or why they knew their alien identities was beyond Max but he assumed that this was definitely not good.  
  
For any of them.  
  
"We're here for Ava." He said gruffly and Max took a defensively stance and stood between him and the doorway. The man appeared to be in his forties, at least six feet, presumably alien and way stronger than any of them.  
  
"Why?" He demanded, his protective instincts kicking in. Max could feel the blood rushing to his head as he started to panic. Hopefully, he didn't show it. His heart was pounding so fast in his chest that he felt like it was going to jump out soon.  
  
"Step out of our way or she will die." The man said referring to Tess and Max's stubborn gaze faltered.  
  
"Who are you?" He argued, still not moving.  
  
The man shoved him out of the way, refusing to answer his question. Max stumbled to the side, feeling anger overtake him but the pleading look from Isabel's eyes told him not to do anything foolish that would likely get them killed.  
  
Five more people followed the leader. They looked like angels of death, all in black as they walked inside the room, surrounding the bed where Tess was lying unconscious.  
  
"What are you going to do to her?" Max asked angrily as one of them walked over to him and aimed a gun at his side. Whatever happens, he wasn't going to let them hurt her.  
  
For a long time, no one answered him and he could feel the anticipation building up. Finally, the leader turned to him, meeting his eyes squarely. Max and anyone who paid enough attention could see that this man was a fan of Zan.  
  
"Something that you failed to do. Save her." He answered coldly.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: OKAY, SO THAT WASN'T REALLY EXCITING BUT I HAD TO PUT SOME SAD MOMENTS INTO THE FIC AND IM NOT REALLY READY TO END THE STORY YET. I KNOW THAT THE LAST PART WHERE THEY'RE HELD AT GUNPOINT IS CONFUSING BUT I'LL EXPLAIN ON THE NEXT CHAPTER WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST THEM. USUALLY, THE READERS HAVE THE BEST IDEAS. ANYWAY, REVIEWS PLEASE.


	9. Restless

A/N: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE SOONER. I HAD EXAMS AND THEN A NEW SEMESTER STARTED. IT'S BEEN A REAL CRAZY FEW WEEKS. ANYWAY, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
"What the hell?" Michael muttered as he walked to Tess' room and noticed that three tall, dark men, dressed in all black were standing by the door, looking very much like mafia bodyguards and that his friends were nowhere in sight.  
  
_Aliens_, he thought.  
  
He cursed under his breath again when they spotted him before he could make a run for it. Standing still in his spot, he watched as one of them approached him.  
  
"Rath." The man said as he nodded at Michael.  
  
Slightly surprised and confused by the gesture and recognition, Michael said nothing and waited.  
  
"They're waiting for you inside." The man continued as he gestured towards the room.  
  
Michael watched him warily, not sure of what to do to. There was something strangely familiar and trustworthy about the man so he did nothing and walked to the room. He hoped that Tess was alright in there.  
  
What he found surprised him even more.  
  
Cramped inside the somewhat small room were five more men dressed in black. They were circled around the bed where Tess was. A ceremony was taking place.  
  
Michael glanced at Max who was standing by the corner, a gun threateningly pointed at him, Isabel and the rest of their friends.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Michael dared to exclaim at the man.  
  
The man turned to him, his eyes soft yet threatening. He didn't speak in English and strangely, Michael understood. Silently, he nodded and backed away, letting them continue with what they came to do.  
  
"Michael?" Isabel asked warily. He seemed strangely calm for someone who was being held hostage.  
  
"Quiet Isabel, they're praying." He said in a hushed tone and Isabel turned to look at the group.  
  
Pale and almost dead, Tess laid on the bed while the circle of dark strangers surrounded her.  
  
Suddenly the man raised a knife and Maria whimpered while Max moved to run to Tess but Michael was quicker than he was and in an instant, he was in front of Max, telling him no.  
  
The leader of the strangers took the knife, dipped in a small cylinder filled with blood. He then turned to Tess, took her limp hand and sliced her palm.  
  
"Oh my God." Maria murmured in disgust as she clung to Kyle's arm.  
  
The man continued his chant and a silver glow appeared on Tess cut and in a few minutes, the scar was gone, leaving no trace that it ever happened.  
  
The man abruptly stood up and the rest of his people moved away from the bed.  
  
For what seemed like eternity, nothing happened and just when Max was about to say something, Tess' body began to trash on the bed, her head rolling back as her eyes snapped open. They could see that her pupils were gone, and there was only black there.  
  
Her fingers curled and she clawed at the bed underneath her almost ripping the sheets as she struggled. Two men moved to hold her down, pinning her arms to her sides.  
  
She started to yell in their alien language and only the men in black and Michael understood.  
  
She fought, trying to break free as she continued to trash but she was weaker and smaller. Ten minutes later, her seizures subsided and Tess laid on the bed heaving and covered in her own cold sweat, her black eyes turn emptily to the ceiling while blood trickled down her cheeks and from the corner of her mouth.  
  
Her eyelids closed and her head turned to her side as her body relaxed. The leader moved forward, motioning the two men to let Tess' arms go. They nodded in obedience and moved away. The man sat next to Tess and wiped the blood from her face.  
  
"Rest well, your highness." He whispered in English. It was the first thing in almost an hour that Max understood. The man then stood up and walked over to Max but he looked at Michael and spoke in Antarian again.  
  
Michael nodded when the man finished. "He says that now we wait." He explained to Max who looked confused.  
  
"Ask them who they are." Max told him.  
  
The man's eyes snapped at Max and he glared at the younger man. "We are servants to the queen." He said in English.  
  
"Servants?" Max echoed.  
  
"More like warriors, actually. Soldiers." Michael clarified.  
  
"We serve the queen and _her_ alone." He stated firmly, his dislike of Max more evident. "Had we not come here in time, _you_ would have let her die." He spoke to Max accusingly.  
  
"It's a good thing that you came then." Michael interjected. "Can you get your men out of here? It's getting a little too hot with this many people." The man nodded, glanced at his people and they all disappeared out the door.  
  
"You should get rid of the humans." He said.  
  
"No, they're with us." Michael answered for Max as he glanced at Alex, Kyle and Maria who were still huddled in the corner. "What did you do to Tess?"  
  
"You mean Ava." The man corrected sternly. "She will be fine as soon as the new blood mixes with her own."  
  
"New blood?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Yes, Vilandra, the new blood." The man said icily as he glared her down. "The pure blood of the heir mixed with the cure of the poison."  
  
"My son's blood." Max whispered as he walked over to Tess and sat next to her.  
  
"Yes, the future king. He has pure blood that can heal, like yours; mixed with the cure for the poison, it saved his mother." The man answered.  
  
"Where is he now?" Max asked, his eyes never leaving Tess.  
  
The man sighed. "He's somewhere safe." He said curtly.  
  
"Where is my son?" Max demanded angrily.  
  
The man growled. "You will see your son soon enough!" He declared firmly as he moved towards the door. The man stopped short. "While Ava is asleep, I'm going to take this opportunity to tell you this. She spent her whole life with the belief that she was meant to die for you, for all of you, but the truth is without her, there would be no royal four. She is your salvation. You don't deserve her." With that said he shook his head in disappointment and disapproval and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.  
  
Max, Michael, Isabel, Kyle, Alex and Maria looked at each other in disbelief.  
  
************************************************************************

  
"Sheriff, who are these people?" Liz asked as he glanced at the men standing by Tess' room.  
  
Valenti shrugged his shoulders, his eyes casting a worried look towards the door. He and Liz had just gotten to the scene and it seemed that something had happened inside but no one wanted to explain.  
  
Micheal, Maria, Kyle, Alex and Isabel were still in the room. Once in a while, Alex would pop out to speak to Liz and Sheriff Valenti who were instructed by one of the men to wait outside.  
  
"You're the human, who played guardian to the royal four, aren't you?" One of them asked him.  
  
Valenti glanced at the other figure and nodded. "Tess was like a daughter to me." He said proudly.  
  
The other man stretched his lips in an effort to smile. "We would like to thank you for guarding the queen." He said.  
  
"Anytime." Jim answered. "Do you mind telling me who you are?"  
  
"Kail. High General to the Council, protector of the queen."  
  
Jim Valenti's eyebrow furrowed. "Isn't that supposed to be Michael or Rath?" He asked.  
  
"I'm the leading officer of the rebel forces based here on Earth. My predecessor, Nasedo, died a few years ago and now I'm left to guard the queen while she tries to kill our enemy herself." He explained.  
  
Valenti nodded. Everything seemed confusing but things were falling into place now. He didn't know whether to trust Kail and his men but they seemed sincere enough and by saving Tess' life, Valenti approved of them.  
  
************************************************************************

  
Kyle shifted in his seat as he tried to find a comfortable position in the small reclining chair. He rubbed his eyes as he glanced at the clock. It said two o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Jeez." He muttered as he looked around the semi dark room. Alex was sleeping on the couch peacefully. I'm _going to have to wake him in an hour or so_, Kyle mentally told himself.  
  
It was already two days since Kail and his men came and Tess was still out of it. Everyone else had rented a room to get some sleep somewhere comfortable. No one wanted to leave.  
  
Kyle glanced at Tess and decided to sit next to her. He could see the right side of her face. It was pale against the soft glow of the moonlight that seeped through the curtain that billowed by the window.  
  
Kyle sighed as he quickly glanced at Alex who was still sleeping. He then turned to Tess.  
  
"I was thinking," He started to speak as he clasped his hands together. "You should wake up now, Tess. You didn't fail. You won. Khivar's gone, your son is safe and Max, well, he's waiting for you. I know that maybe you're not waking up because Max is here and you don't want to see him but you have to. It's killing him seeing you like this. It's killing all of us." Kyle sighed and looked down at his hand again. "And I want to see my nephew. I know that he's not _really_ related to me but you're pretty much my sister so I figured he's family too. Anyway, it might be nice to have a family dinner again for Christmas. This year I'll actually help out." Kyle chuckled. "Kail won't give him back unless you're awake. He doesn't like Max. We can all see that. Hey, Tess, if you wake up, I swear that I'll give you that jersey that you wore." He smiled as he remembered the incident.  
  
Kyle leaned forwards as he brushed a stray blonde hair from Tess' face. Suddenly he was racked with sobs and he put his arms around her and hugged her. "We really, really miss you Tess. Come home now, okay."  
  
Suddenly a hand touched his shoulder and he jerked, startled. He slowly pulled away from Tess and looked down at her.  
  
"You almost suffocated me in my sleep." She groaned as her eyelids fluttered as she tried to look up at him straight. They were still black but traces of her blue eyes were becoming visible.  
  
"If I knew that it would wake you up, I would have suffocated you a long time ago." He grinned as he hugged her tighter. "I can't believe you're back."  
  
"Kyle, I need air." She groaned.  
  
He loosened his hold around her and gave her an apologetic smile as he stood up and shook Alex from his sleep. Alex muttered something under his breath as he was ungracefully woken up.  
  
"Tess is awake." Kyle declared happily and Alex leapt for his position and ran over to Tess.  
  
"About time." He said trying to sound stern but he was beaming from ear to ear and he took his turn to hug her. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Weird." She answered. Kyle was about to run out of the room to tell the other the good news but Tess called out. "Don't." She said weakly. "I'm not ready to see them. Not right now."  
  
"But Max would-" Kyle said but Alex cut him off.  
  
"We'll tell them in the morning." Alex declared firmly and Kyle nodded. He went to Tess' other side and sat down next to her. "We were worried about you." Alex said, glancing at Kyle who nodded in agreement.  
  
Tess nodded. "I told you I can take care of myself." She smiled as her hand went to his. "You never have to worry about me."  
  
"Well, with the numerous close calls you had, I think Alex had the right to worry. We all did." Kyle piped in happily.  
  
"I'm going to take that jersey since you promised." She smiled at him. Kyle beamed. Her face grew serious and the ordeal that she went through became evident. Suddenly, she seemed old, not by appearance but in her eyes. They looked tired and beaten. "Thank you, both of you. I owe you a lot." She said and she opened her arms so they could both hug her. So they did.  
  
"Anytime." Kyle said when they pulled away.  
  
"But don't do it again." Alex added half jokingly and Tess nodded. "Get some rest, princess. You have a few hours left until everyone's up." He said as he patted her arm.  
  
"But I'm not tired." Tess argued as she tried to stifle a yawn.  
  
"Sure you're not." Kyle said as he kissed her on the forehead. "We'll be here. Yell if you need anything."  
  
Tess nodded as she turned to one side, pulling the covers over her shoulders despite the warm New Mexico weather. She heard Alex and Kyle return to the couch and chair. For a long time, she didn't sleep but just stared out of the darkness, her eyes focused on the lace curtain that billowed like a ghost standing near the window. She listened to Kyle and Alex's breathing when they finally fell back asleep an hour later. Tess sighed as she pulled the covers tighter around her. She felt shivers run up and down her spine, making her uneasy. She shut her eyes, knowing full well why she couldn't sleep or rest.  
  
In the morning she would have to face Max all over again.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: YAY, I MADE HER WAKE UP. I KNOW THAT IM MEAN FOR NOT LETTING KYLE TELL MAX BUT I FIGURED THAT I COULDN'T MAKE THEM FACE EACH OTHER NOW SINCE THE WHOLE CONFRONTATION THING WOULD START ALL OVER AGAIN AND I ALREADY WROTE ENOUGH FOR ONE CHAPTER. I WANTED SOMETHING MORE EXCITING FOR TESS' REVIVAL BUT ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS AN INDIAN HEALER AND WELL, YOU KNOW HOW IT WENT. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK BECAUSE I SERIOUSLY WON'T PUT ANOTHER CHAPTER UNLESS THERE ARE ENOUGH REVIEWS.  
  
SO REVIEW ALREADY.


	10. Tough Love

A/N: I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT UPDATING SO SOON. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD A HUGE WRITER'S BLOCK WHICH DIDN'T HELP ME AT ALL. THEN SCHOOL WORK STARTED PILING UP AND I JUST DIDN'T FIND THE ENERGY TO FINISH IT UNTIL NOW. BUT I'M BACK AND TO MAKE UP FOR THE LONG WAIT, I MADE THIS REALLY LONG. I WROTE TO POSSIBILITIES FOR THIS CHAPTER AND THIS WAS THE ONE THAT I LIKED. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT TOO. ANYWAY, THIS WILL BE IT FOR NOW BUT IT'S NOT THE END. ANYWAY, ENJOY AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW.  
~*~  
  
"I should go. I should go now." Tess whispered to herself for the third time in the last minute. Alex glanced up at her, looking sleepy as he stretched his arms and stood up from the rather uncomfortable couch.  
  
"Morning." He mumbled as he looked at the clock. It said seven o'clock.  
  
"Hey." She said looking startled. "You're awake."  
  
Alex yawned and nodded his head. "Seems so. Kyle is still out, huh?" He said as he looked at his friend who was sleeping quietly on the reclining chair close to the bed.  
  
Tess forced a smile as she glanced at the door again nervously.  
  
"Don't even think of running." He warned her firmly.  
  
She looked at him, slightly glaring. "Who said I was even thinking of that?" She demanded defensively.  
  
Alex smirked as he walked over to the bathroom, stretching his arms at the same time. "I can read you like a book, Tess." He said as he closed the door behind him, leaving Tess to glower at his direction.  
  
She flopped down on the bed, making a sound and startling Kyle who jumped from where he laid. "What's going on?" He mumbled.  
  
"Sorry." She said quietly and Kyle nodded at her.  
  
"What's the matter?" He asked with concern.  
  
Tess slumped her shoulders as she took a deep breath. "I want to leave." She confessed, waiting for his outburst.  
  
"Why?" Kyle asked worriedly.  
  
"I can't stand it anymore. I don't want to talk to him. I have to go." She said hastily as she stood up. They both knew she was talking about Max.  
  
"Don't be stupid Tess and run off. It's not worth it. It'll give him more reason to doubt you." He declared.  
  
"That's not news to me, Kyle. Whether I stay here or not isn't going to change anything. He'll always hate me." She stated unhappily.  
  
"Max loves you. Don't ever think otherwise." He said firmly.  
  
"_Right_." She said with a scoff.  
  
"Tess, it killed Max when you were poisoned. He stayed in this room like a crazy obsessed man because he wanted to stay with you, afraid that it might be the last time he'd ever get to spend with you. He showed devotion, and caring and love." He insisted.  
  
Tess scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "_Love_. I _hate_ that word." She mumbled cynically.  
  
"No, you're mad at Max so you're making it seem like you don't love him but you do. And don't even try arguing with me." He said stubbornly. "You risked your life for him; you risked your son's future even when you knew that Max would hate you in the end although you were trying to do right by him. Don't tell me that's not love."  
  
"That's duty." She argued stubbornly, crossing her arms.  
  
"Tess-" He said impatiently but suddenly the door to the room opened and he was cut in the middle of his sentence.  
  
Max stood in front of them looking wide eyed and shocked. "How…when?" He stammered.  
  
Tess sighed as she gave Kyle a worried look. "Max, can you give us a minute here?" He asked as he gave the other man an apologetic smile.  
  
Max narrowed his eyes suspiciously but from the way Tess looked, he nodded silently and walked back out again.  
  
"Oh, God. I can't do this again." Tess groaned as she put her head in her hands.  
  
"It'll be fine." Kyle whispered, rubbing her back softly. "Just talk. Listen to each other. I know it's hard but you have to trust me when I say that a lot of things have changed while you were sleeping. Just give him a chance."  
  
"He doesn't deserve another chance." She argued irritably; her voice muffled in her hands.  
  
"Maybe not but you're awake now and he wants to talk to you and I suggest you be nice to him. He loves you no matter what. Just remember that." Kyle declared and then he stood up and knocked on the bathroom door.  
  
"Yeah?" Alex asked from behind the door.  
  
"We have to go." Kyle announced and the door burst open.  
  
"Is something wrong? Is Tess alright?" Alex asked worried as he peered into the bedroom, relieved to see Tess still sitting on the bed.  
  
"Max is outside. He's waiting." Kyle told him.  
  
Alex eyes widened and he nodded. "Oh. I'll be out in a minute." He said and closed the door back again.  
  
"You can't leave me here by myself." Tess said to Kyle as he waited for Alex to come out.  
  
"You two need some time alone." He insisted.  
  
Tess shook her head, looking angry but more afraid. "What I need is to get away from that bastard outside. I don't understand why you're making me talk to him when all he's done is hurt me!" She exclaimed furiously.  
  
"He's your husband. You can handle him. Now stop calling Max names." Kyle defended.  
  
_"Ex-husband from my past life."_ She clarified curtly.  
  
"Whatever." He sighed impatiently. "About time." Kyle said when Alex came out.  
  
Alex walked over to Tess and hugged her. "We'll be right outside the door." He said as he kissed her on the forehead.  
  
Tess looked at him pleadingly but he brushed it off and followed Kyle out the door. "Hey Max." He said, giving his friend a warning look that told him to be nice.  
  
Max gave Kyle and Alex a distracted nod and walked in the room. Tess had now moved to stand by the window, her back turned to him.  
  
"Make it fast." She uttered brusquely as she turned to face him.  She looked calm despite her anger.  
  
Max cleared his throat. "When did you wake up?" He asked, still looking at her.  
  
"Last night." She answered with a shrug.  
  
"Oh. Why wasn't I told?" He asked when he realized that it's been hours since she was awake and no one had bothered to wake him and tell him the good news.  
  
Tess sighed. "I didn't want them to. But now you know. It doesn't really matter, does it?"  
  
"Tess, can we talk?" Max asked uncomfortably.  
  
"We're talking right now." She declared icily.  
  
"Actually, I'm talking and you're just being angry." Max declared, slightly annoyed by her tone.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want me to jump for joy now that I'm awake and you've graced me with your royal presence?" She said sarcastically. Her blue eyes turned dark as she glared at him.  
  
"Tess, stop being sarcastic and just talk normal." He snapped at her and she scoffed.  
  
"Don't you fucking yell at me, Max Evans. Who the hell do you think you are?" She asked angry, her voice harsh.  
  
"I'm not yelling! I don't want to fight you!" He insisted sternly.  
  
"Well, I don't care about what you want!" She retorted just as angrily. "Now, say whatever mean thing you want to say because you have about half an hour before I leave."  
  
"You're leaving? Where are you going?" He asked, slightly shocked that she would just leave.  
  
"None of you business." She declared as she defensively crossed her arms in front of her.  
  
"I didn't come here to argue with you or say anything mean or yell or whatever it is that you think I came here for." He said as his voice grew calm. "I didn't even know you were awake. I just came to see you."  
  
"Well, now you've seen me." She blurted out as she crossed the room and stood away from him.  
  
"I thought you were dead, Tess. I honestly did, even when Kail came to save you." He decided to say.  
  
"But you were wrong." She said, not surprised that Kail and his men were there to rescue him.  
  
Max nodded. "And I'm glad." He stated quietly. "These past few days, all I wanted was for you to wake up. I thought I was going to go crazy."  
  
"Where is this leading to, Max? I don't see a point to this conversation." Tess said severely as she glared at him.  
  
"Then stop with the nasty comments and for once listen. Stop being angry." He said harshly.  
  
"I don't want to listen to you. I'm through." She said quietly, shaking her head.  
  
"Well, I'm not." Max insisted. "There are so many things I want to tell you. Hear me out, please." He said pleadingly.  
  
Tess chuckled. "You know, that's the first time that I've ever heard you say _please_ to me. Since I came back all you've done is yell at me. Before I blacked out, all I remember was that you were yelling." She said unhappily.  
  
"I was wrong then. I didn't know the whole truth." He explained, feeling guilty. "I should have listened."  
  
"But you didn't. But I guess that's my fault. It would never have come to this if I just did everything right."  
  
"It doesn't matter. We're here now." He said walking towards her but she abruptly backed away on instinct.  
  
"Sorry." She mumbled as she rubbed her hands on her arms nervously.  
  
"It's alright. I guess you just have to get used to me." He answered softly.  
  
Tess looked up at him, her eyes sad as she shook her head. "I don't plan on it, Max." She stated nonchalantly.  
  
Max frowned. "What do you mean?" He inquired.  
  
"I don't plan on getting used to you." She clarified with a gulp. "Just because you finally realized that you feel something for me-whatever it may be-does not mean that I'm going to stick around and pretend that we're the happy couple like we used to be."  
  
"So that's it? You're just going to leave?" He demanded angrily.  
  
Tess nodded. "Yes, that's it. It's _that_ simple."  
  
"You're not even going to try to make us work?" He exclaimed. "God dammit, Tess, I love you and you're just going to walk away!"  
  
"That's right, Max. I am just going to walk away. We don't always get what we want. So get used to it."  
  
"Like hell I am. I went through a year without you. I thought you betrayed me, then I find out you're alive and I'm tortured with doubts, with all these thoughts of you suffering. The next thing I know, I'm being beaten to death, and then you're dying from poison that you took. I am _not_ going to let you go, even if it costs me my life. I lost you more than enough!" He argued fiercely.  
  
She shook her head at him as she fought back the tears. "Don't do this to me!" She whispered brokenly as she sat down dejectedly.  
  
"I'm not doing anything to you. I love you. I always will." Max said as he walked towards her. Max ginger put his arm around her and Tess pushed him away stubbornly.  
  
"Don't touch me. I hate you." She said miserably.  
  
Max nodded as he tried again and pulled her into a tight embrace, refusing to let her go even when she struggled to get him away from her. "I can live with that as long as you promise not to leave me again."  
  
"I can't do this, Max. We're not going to work. Our life was a disaster in the past. It's not going to be any different now." She said as she buried her face on his shoulder. "I should have left while everyone was asleep."  
  
"I wouldn't have forgiven you. I don't think we could both live with that." He stated.  
  
"As long as you're finally safe, I can live with anything." She said softly and Max sighed.  
  
"That's what makes me love you more." He whispered. He could feel that she was tense against his touch, that she wasn't letting her guard down just yet.  
  
"Don't." She pleaded.  
  
"I can't help it if I love you. You're selfless and stubborn and unpredictable, and kind." He continued.  
  
"And you're a jerk for even thinking that I betrayed you." She said as she pulled away from him abruptly.  
  
Max sighed, shaking his head. "I thought we were past that." He stated.  
  
"We're not past anything. Zan would never have doubted me." She claimed and Max flinched.  
  
"I can't be everything that Zan was." He said as he backed away from her.  
  
"And that's too bad because he was a good man." Tess retorted.  
  
"I'm sorry if I'm not good enough. I'm sorry that I can be like him but I love you. I can't change that." He snapped.  
  
"I'm tired of this, Max. I really am." Tess said in defeat. "I wish we could go back to the way we were in Antar. Everything seemed so much simpler." She whispered as she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.  
  
"But we died in the war." He reminded her.  
  
"I meant before the war. Everything was so easy." She sighed.  
  
"Life wasn't meant to be easy, Tess. Everyone struggles." Max declared softly.  
  
"But our life is so hard. I never wanted this. I never asked to be Queen. And I sure as hell did not ask to be brought back again for another brutal life." She whimpered.  
  
"No, but we can't help who we are." Max stated.  
  
"You're a real hypocrite, you know that?" She said unsympathetically.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have the nerve to tell me that we can't help who we are when you won't even admit that deep inside you, you _are_ Zan no matter what you believe!" She exclaimed furiously.  
  
"Tess, let's not fight." Max pleaded.  
  
"I'm not fighting. I'm telling you the truth!" She insisted. "You can't just be Max Evans and ignore everything else that is different about you."  
  
"I have never denied who I am Tess! God, I've been stuck with who I am since I came here."  
  
"Well, join the club!" She shrieked.  
  
"What is wrong with us?" Max asked breathlessly.  
  
"Everything. You love two women and well, technically, I'm still married to Khivar although he's dead." Tess stated.  
  
"You're _my_ wife." Max argued.  
  
"Okay. Don't go territorial and possessive on me, Max. We haven't been married for decades. Let's not start with that again." Tess stated coldly.  
  
"I just don't like the thought of you being touched by someone else, especially Khivar." He explained as a shiver ran down his spine. It really disgusted him that Khivar had his hands on Tess.  
  
"Yeah." Tess said as she gulped. She was about to say something when a knock interrupted them.  
  
Max groaned as he walked over to the door and opened it, obviously annoyed. Kail stood in front of him.  
  
"What do you want?" Max demanded curtly.  
  
"Just following orders." Kail replied as he gave Tess a nod.  
  
Max frowned and then look back at Tess who was walking towards them. "Where are you going?" He demanded.  
  
"Out." She answered as she pushed past him. "Don't worry, I'll be back." She added reassuringly as she glanced back at him.  
  
Max nodded, feeling helpless but he trusted Tess. At least, he wanted to and he wanted to show her that. He sighed as he looked back at the empty room. He didn't know whether Tess would come back but he hoped that she'd stick to her word. He sat back down on the bed, suddenly feeling very tired.  
  
He waited for a few minutes and still she didn't return. When he was finally ready to go after her, a knock interrupted his thoughts. Max looked up and saw Tess, holding a little infant in her arms.  
  
"See? I didn't run." She weakly smiled at him as she walked towards him.  
  
"Oh, God." Max whispered as he continued to stare at the infant in her arms. He looked about two years old.  
  
"Say hi to Lex, Max." Tess said as she handed him her son but the little boy started to cry. She gave Max an apologetic smile. "He's not used to you." She explained.  
  
"Yeah." He sighed uncomfortably.  
  
"Max, he's still your son. It takes time." Tess insisted. She looked at Lex and smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "It's okay, honey. See? He's your father." She whispered to Lex who cooed when he heard her voice.  
  
"He's beautiful." Max said tearfully.  
  
"Yes, he is." She smiled proudly. "He has good genes."  
  
Max nodded. "Hi, little guy."  
  
"Say hi to Daddy, honey." Tess whispered and Lex giggled. "He likes you." She told Max.  
  
"I thought I would never see him again." He told her tearfully.  
  
"No matter what Max, he would have found his way back to you." She replied as she gave his hand a small squeeze.  
  
"I missed two years worth of his life." He said unhappily.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said.  
  
"Me too." Max nodded. "Tess, please can we at least try for him? For our son?" Max asked as he looked up at her, truly feeling that he loved her.  
  
Tess looked at him sadly. "I have a whole planet to run now Max, a son to raise, people to take care of, and an army to lead. Your life is here and I know that. We can't be together. I'm going back to Antar and I'm taking Lex with me."  
  
Max frowned. "Who says you have to do this all on your own? Rightfully, I am the true King and Lex is my son. You're not just going to take him away from me." He argued.  
  
"You don't know the first thing about being King and besides, everything you love is here." She insisted softly.  
  
Max shook his head defiantly. "You and our son won't be."  
  
"It doesn't matter. You'll see us when we visit you."  
  
"That is not good enough. I want this. I want my family." He declared obstinately.  _Why wont she listen to me?_  
  
"I know you do but not everything is going to fall back into place just because you want us to work so badly." Tess insisted.  
  
"You're making excuses. I love you and you won't let me be with you and our son. I don't care if I don't know how to rule. You'll teach me. They'll accept that I'm king. You know all this time, I've been telling you how I feel and you never once said that you feel the same."  
  
"I think I've pretty much proven how I feel." She stated stubbornly.  
  
"Then say it."  
  
Tess shook his head. "I'm not going to do this."  
  
"You fell for him, didn't you?" Max asked in disbelief. "You spent two years in Antar with him. You're bound to feel something."  
  
Tess shook her head. "Never." She swore.  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
Tess looked down at her son, unable to look at Max. "I honestly don't know." She answered.  
  
"Yes, you do!" He insisted.  
  
"No, Max, I don't!" She argued tearfully. "I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about this."  
  
"Tess-"  
  
"We're going back and you're staying." She declared firmly.  
  
"Like hell I am." He argued.  
  
"I am Queen and what I say goes. Besides, you need to guard Earth from whatever enemies we still have here." Tess announced.  
  
Max shook his head. "You're pulling rank on me?"  He asked, incredulously.    
  
"I'm saying what I think is best." She replied. "I'm not doing anything."  
  
"Is this some sort of punishment for everything I've done to you?" He asked.  
  
Tess sighed, still holding Lex. "I love you Max Evans but this how it has to be. Your home is here. I'm doing this for you. Trust me."  
  
"I want to, Tess, but I still don't understand it." Max whispered in defeat.  
  
"Go back to Liz, and if you still love then, alright. We can be together." She declared.  
  
"But I already told you. I want you. Just you and Lex." He insisted.  
  
"I believe you but a large part of you love her. I know that I can't make it go away but I need this-we need this. I want you to be sure, Max. I want to know that all this affection isn't due to gratitude and guilt." She explained quietly as she sat next to him and freed her one hand to hold his.  
  
"I will go to you. I promise you that." He whispered.  
  
"We'll see." She whispered.  
  
"You still hate me, don't you?" He asked.  
  
"No. No matter how much I want to hate you, I will always love you. It doesn't matter how far away we are from each other." She said as she sat next to him.  
  
"I can't live without you, Tess."  
  
"Yes, you can. You'll just have to for a little while." She sighed as she leaned and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
"I will always love you, Tess." He said as he returned her kiss. For a long time he held her there; her face buried in his collar bone while their son sat in contentment between them. "How long will this have to be?"  
  
"For as long as you need it. There's no rush Max." She answered as she smiled at him.  
  
"Ok." He answered, knowing full well that there was nothing that would change her mind. This was what she wanted.  
  
She wanted him to be sure.  
  
Max sighed. He owed her that in the least.  
  
"Good bye, Max." She said as she pulled away from him.  
  
"You're still going?"  
  
She nodded. "I'm still going. Here, take him." She whispered.  
  
Max looked at her with uncertainty. "I thought you were taking him with you." He said as he held Lex in his arms.  
  
"I was but then I realized that I wasn't being fair. I've had a lot of time with him and you barely even got to hold him." She answered as a wave of emotions flooded her again. "Bring him back to me if you want to be with us but if you choose Liz, get Kail to take him. That way, it won't be so hard." She said tearfully as she bent down and kissed Lex on the forehead.  
  
"Okay." Max answered.  
  
"Good bye, Max." She said as she walked away from him and their son.  
  
Max nodded sadly. "Good bye, Tess." He answered back. "For now."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: I INTENDED THIS TO BE THE END BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY DIDN'T STAY TOGETHER. I KNOW THAT I'M CRUEL BUT DO NOT FLAME ME, OKAY. THE WORDS JUST STARTED FLOWING AND IT ENDED UP THERE. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHAPTER OR TWO LEFT. PROBABLY JUST ONE. MAYBE I'LL WRITE A SEQUEL BUT THAT'S A HUGE MAYBE SO I GUESS, WE'LL JUST SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT NEXT. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND DON'T BE MEAN OKAY GUYS.  
  
THANKS.


	11. Happily Ever After It Was Not

A/N: I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LAST UPDATED. YAH, I SUCK BUT ANYWAY, I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO WRITING THIS CHAPTER. FINALLY! WELL, THIS ISN'T THE END. I'LL EXPLAIN AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER. BUT READ AND REVIEW, OKAY.

  
~*~

  
"I know you're disappointed." Tess said softly as she stood in front of Kyle, Alex, and Michael. Liz and Maria had gone off with Sheriff Valenti and Isabel to see Max and Lex.  
  
"Well of course we're disappointed." Michael blurted out honestly.  He still could not believe that she was leaving.   
  
"That's not what Michael meant." Alex said sending a glare towards Michael who just glared back.  
  
"No, actually, that's what I meant." Michael argued resolutely.  
  
"What they mean is that this isn't exactly the ending that we wanted you and Max to have. We just wanted you to be together and be a family; live happily ever after you know?" Kyle interrupted both Michael and Alex.  
  
"But this isn't a fairytale guys." Tess declared softly. "We don't always get the happily ever after."  
  
"Tess, that's what you deserve. After everything you and Max went through, you've earned that kind of ending and as your friends, we want what's best for both of you." Alex declared.  
  
"I know, but Max has to be honest with himself. He needs time to think this through. I want him to be sure that he wants to be with me because he loves me and not because he feels that he has to because of what I've done." Tess explained quietly as she gazed at the three boys-now men-who had as much influence in her life as Max did.  
  
"So that's it? You're going back to Antar while Max _thinks_ this whole thing through for god knows how long?" Michael argued impatiently.  
  
Tess sighed, suddenly feeling like she was defending Max from his own friends. "Have faith in him. Please. I owe him that much. We all do. He's been shoved from one thing to another, forced to make decisions in a heartbeat. Can't we just give him a few more weeks, months to let this whole thing settle in his head?"  
  
"Tess, do you know what can happen in months? People can die within months or they can fall in love with other people or they can grow apart, more than they already were. Please, don't do something that you'll regret in the end." Alex pleaded.  
  
Tess shook her head.  
  
"If one of us does die, or Max and I find other people to care about or if we drift apart to the point that we can never be together then so be it!" Tess said firmly as she shot the three of them a determined look. "I am not forcing him into this life!"  
  
"Even when he's already made it clear that he wants you and no one else?" Michael demanded; his eyes narrowed as he waited for Tess' rebuff. "I heard him Tess. I heard him say over and over again that he loves you and he wants to spend his life with you and Lex. Why can't you just accept that?"  
  
"Michael, don't push it." Tess said sternly.  
  
"I know that you've sacrificed a lot for Max and maybe, you are punishing him for what you went through but why can't you see that you're hurting yourself too?"  
  
"I'm not punishing him, Michael! And I sure as hell am not hurting myself or anyone else in the process. Why can't you see it from my point of view? It's not that easy! We can't just resume from where we left off. A lot has happened!" She hissed angrily. "Max needs time and so do I!"  
  
"Tess-" Kyle started but she snapped at him too.  
  
"No! I'm not going to listen to this! I am going back to Antar. Now, Max has accepted that and he knows, even though he doesn't understand, what I want and he's had enough decency to accept my wishes. Please, please, trust me in this. I am trying to do what I think is right." She said, her eyes softening.  
  
Michael, Kyle and Alex nodded somberly. They didn't want her to do this. They didn't want Tess to leave and if she did, they wanted her to take Max and their son with her.  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing." Michael said grudgingly as he stepped forward and hugged her; finally giving up his argument. There was no point fighting with Tess. She had made up her mind and she was going to go through with it.  
  
"I do know what I'm doing.  I've _always_ known." She whispered as she hugged him tightly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before letting go. A part of her loved Michael. He was after all family, and he had been there for her when Max wasn't.  
  
He was the protector, the guardian of the Royal Family and she always felt safe with him and for that she was grateful.  
  
"Good luck, Tess. I'll miss you." Kyle said, taking his turn to say his goodbyes to his almost sister.  
  
"I'll miss you too, Kyle. But it's not the end. I know that you all think that, but it's not." She smiled as she gave him a hug too.  
  
Tess then turned to Alex who looked at her with sad eyes. "Thanks for everything." She said a she gave him a quick hug. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't helped." She smiled tearfully.  
  
"My pleasure. Let's just not do that again. _Ever_." Alex smiled.  
  
"Thank you. All of you. I owe you so much and I am grateful for everything you've done for me and Max and our son. I will never forget your kindness." She smiled as she took a step back from the three men as if she was memorizing their faces in her mind.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Ava." Michael said softly in their native language.  
  
"I will. You too, Michael. Tell Isabel, the Sheriff and Liz and Maria I said thanks and bye." She said softly before she turned away from them to met Kail.  
  
The three men stood together, the wind slowly blowing the dirt on the ground and the sun just setting in the horizon. They watched in silence as Tess walked side by side with Kail, and then disappeared into one of the black jeeps. It then sped away, taking her further and further from them, leaving them feeling somewhat fearful for her safety but more saddened that she was leaving them again and this time no one was forcing her.  
  
Max stepped out of the hotel, just as the jeep that carried Tess finally disappeared. Isabel followed just a few feet behind him with Lex in her arms.  
  
"Is she gone?" He asked, his eyes taking note of the expression on his friends' faces.  
  
"Yeah with Kail." Michael replied for all of them.  
  
Max nodded unhappily, his chest heavy from the thought that Tess had left again. He turned his head to the direction that she had gone; his eyes steady as if he was trying to see her face. He sighed and turned back to meet his sister and his son.  
  
"Let's go home." He told everyone.  
  
Max gave Lex a quick kiss on the forehead, hoping that Tess was right and that he wouldn't fail her again. In the end, Max knew that would choose her and finally, after so long, they could finally be together for good.

  
************************************************************************

  
Heavy footsteps echoed into the large halls of the Palace. Men dressed in armor suits walked from one direction into another, many of them shouting orders. They quickly cast a respectful glance on the small figure that walked amongst them.  
  
"Your highness, the rebel troops have seized the front of the city." One of the leading soldiers said as he approached her.  
  
Tess nodded grimly as she removed the helmet from her head, spilling long strands of uncombed blonde hair over her shoulders.  
  
"We have to fight." She said firmly, her eyes never leaving the soldier whose name she couldn't quite remember.  
  
"We know your highness but we need orders." He said with a small nod.  
  
Tess sighed as she gripped the helmet on her side tightly. "Do what you can to protect our people." She said quietly. "I'll see you in the battlefield." Tess then nodded, indicating that he was dismissed and finally for the first time in almost three months, she was alone.  
  
She cast a quick glance towards the hall where men and women, most of them soldiers and their families, before turning to the balcony to let herself think.  
  
Taking a deep sigh, Tess ran her cut and bruised fingers through her hair. She looked down at them, pained that the delicate features of her hands were now covered with cuts, dried blood, mud and bruises and blisters.  
  
She looked out into the horizon, her hands completely forgotten, and saw smoke rising into the once clear sky of Antar.  
  
Refusing to cry, Tess placed her thoughts on her son and Max and the rest of her family. In earth times, she hadn't seen them in almost six, seven months, give or take a few weeks. She had not heard from Max, Michael or Isabel. She had sent Kail to earth a few weeks before the war started and she was glad that Max hadn't made up his mind yet.  
  
Tess was even more grateful that she had decided to leave Lex with his father. Had she taken him back with her, she would have endangered his life again.  
  
Relieved but saddened, she realized how fortunate they were that she and Max hadn't resolved whatever it was that kept them apart. As much as she wanted to be with her family, as much as she wanted to hold them again, she didn't want them here to face this war that she knew was coming.  
  
_I was right_, Tess thought unhappily. Her instincts had told her to return to Antar as soon as possible once the ordeal with Khivar was finished. She knew that the larger fight wasn't over yet. But she never mentioned it to anyone.  
  
Only Kail knew.  
  
When Tess reached Antar and the news of Khivar's death have spread over the planet already; it only took a month for before an army of his supporters rose up against Ava who was now the sole ruler. The Council had stood by her side, demonstrating its loyalty to the Queen.  
  
One by one, the Royal Four's supporters were assassinated, some murdered in broad daylight by many of Khivar's men.  
  
Now Ava and the remainder of her supporters and people were left in the middle of a war that seemed to have no possibility of ever ending.  
  
Tess was tired. She would never admit it but she was exhausted of having to burden the problems of her people by herself. Her ordeal with Khivar hadn't even cooled down but she was forced to fight again before she could let herself sit back.  
  
_I hope you're all doing better than I am_, Tess thought to herself, her thoughts yet again drawn back to her family on Earth who she assumed had no knowledge of the war in Antar.  
  
She wanted to send them a message or at least visit them for a few hours but there was no time for that. She was needed in the battlefield. She had to lead her troops to whatever doom that awaited them. And it was too dangerous to leave the planet now. Any ship that left was either shot down in the air or sabotaged before it could leave the ground.  
  
She prayed that the war would end already so she could return to simpler worries such as Max and his undeniable love for two women. She wished that she could destroy the army that Khivar created in secret with the snap of her fingers.  
  
"If only things were that simple." She whispered darkly.  
  
Heavy footsteps interrupted her and someone cleared their throat. "Your majesty, I have sent the rest of the troops to meet the Rebels. I suggest you leave the county as soon as possible for your own safety." Kail declared firmly, wearing a suit very similar to Ava's.  
  
"No." Tess declared. "I'm not abandoning my people. This war is more mine than theirs. I will not leave them in such desperate times."  
  
Tess then turned away from him and placed the helmet back on her head and braced herself for another anguishing and never-ending day.  
  
"Go back to your post Kail and meet me back here when the war is over. I won't stop fighting. Not ever." She said firmly before disappearing into the crowd of wounded soldiers.

  
************************************************************************  
  
Max looked up at the dark sky sprinkled by tiny stars. "Mommy's up there, Lex." Max pointed out one of the stars to his son.  
  
They were sitting in his backyard. Lex was on his lap, leaning comfortably against Max's chest and also looking up at the sky.  
  
Spending time with Lex had given Max a chance to learn about his son, to understand his tiny baby moods and to bond with him.  
  
"Mommy." Lex repeated eagerly as he clapped his hands together.  
  
Max smiled as his eyes grew distant. "We're going to see her very soon, Lex. Maybe even tomorrow." He said hopefully as he tried to think of what Tess was doing in Antar.  
  
He wondered if she missed them, if she thought of them constantly, or if she took a few moments from her presumably very busy day to look up at the sky and wonder the same thing they were thinking.  
  
Max had not heard from her in almost seven months. He was ready. He was sure of it. Spending time with Lex had made him appreciate Tess more. They were parents and they loved each other despite the constant hardship that they faced.  
  
Tess was right though. He needed time to let things settle down, to think everything through. He had spent time with Liz since Tess left. They have spoken to each other but whatever bond they once shared in the past, Max could not seem to find it anymore.  
  
They had grown too distant from each other. Their hearts had been wounded but soon learned to heal and love other people. Max loved Tess. That he knew for certain.  
  
Liz, whatever she may have meant to him in the past, was now just a friend to Max. His heart didn't skip a beat whenever he thought of her. His chest didn't tighten whenever he heard her name.  
  
It was Tess who made him feel like he had no control, like the world was spontaneous and exciting. It was her that taught him about sacrifice, about love and trust and loyalty. It was in her absence that Max felt hollow, like a part of him had been ripped off and his body needed that other half to survive.  
  
It was Tess.  
  
_Not Liz._  
  
Max smiled, liking the feeling that he felt whenever he thought of Tess. "The mother of my child." Max said proudly as he looked down at his little boy. "Mine and Tess'." Max whispered as he placed a kiss on Lex's hair.  
  
"Stars." Lex said as he continued to gaze up at the night sky.  
  
"How about we go home to mommy, Lex? Would you like that?" He asked his son who grinned at the mention of his mother. "Okay, we'll pack as soon as possible and then off to Antar." Max smiled, feeling excitement fill up in his body.  
  
He couldn't wait to see his wife.

  
~*~

  
IT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY. I KNOW. I'M HORRIBLE. I KEEP SAYING THAT IT IS BUT I HAD ELEVEN PAGES AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS WAY TOO LONG. SO I CUT THE OTHER HALF OFF AND THAT WILL GO AS THE ENDING. ILL MAKE IT EVEN BETTER THAN IT IS NOW, IF I CAN. ILL MAKE UP FOR IT. I PROMISE. ANYWAY, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW YOU WANT THIS TO END. I ALREADY HAVE THE ENDING. I JUST WANT SOME OF YOUR INPUT.  
  
READ AND REVIEW PLEASE. THE SOONER YOU DO SO, THE SOONER I POST OF UP THE FINAL CHAPTER.  
  
THANKS.


	12. Home

A/N: THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE FINAL CHAPTER. GRAB SOME SNACKS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG ONE. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISTAKES THAT I PROBABLY MADE ALL OVER THIS CHAPTER. I DON'T FEEL LIKE PROOFREADING ALL THESE PAGES. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.  
  
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. ENJOY AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW OKAY.

  
~*~

  
"I've come to a decision." Max said as he, Isabel and Michael sat in the living room.  
  
Isabel looked up at her brother from her nephew who she was playing with and frowned. "What decision?" She asked.  
  
Max shrugged his shoulders, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm going home." He declared and Isabel's face fell as her gaze returned to Lex.  
  
"For good?" She asked.  
  
Max nodded. "For good." He said, echoing his sister's words.  
  
Michael smiled from where he sat, watching carefully the somewhat mixed exchange between his friends. "I'm glad you finally made up your mind. It's about time." He said and Max smiled again.  
  
"When?" Isabel asked.  
  
"As soon as we can get the granilith working." Max replied quietly, already looking forward to seeing Tess.  
  
"Will we ever see any of you again?" Isabel continued.  
  
"Of course. We'll visit whenever we can."  
  
She nodded silently then, a far away look in her eyes.  
  
"You don't have to go with us, either of you, if you don't want to." Max said to Isabel and Michael.  
  
"It's not that. I already know that I'm not going." Isabel clarified. "It's just that it won't be the same without you here. And we'll miss Lex. I was just getting around to spoiling him."  
  
"We'll visit." Max reassured her.  
  
"So this is the real deal?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yeah." Max answered.  
  
"Does Tess know about this?" Isabel asked as she rocked her nephew in her arms.  
  
Max shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. "I haven't received any information or messages from her. Kail hasn't been here in months and I don't want her to know. It should be a surprise." Max explained, trying to push away the bad feeling he just got.  
  
"Are you two going to get married again?" Isabel asked aloud as the thought crossed her mind.  
  
"I'll have to see how Tess feels about that."  
  
Michael smiled. "We all know that Tess wants the three of you to be together." He declared and Isabel nodded in approval. "Does everyone else know about this?"  
  
"No, just the two of you. I'm going to tell them as soon as I ask Alex to get the granilith working again."  
  
"Well, good luck, man." Michael said as he walked over to Max and shook his hand.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"So it's good to go?" Max asked as he and Alex stood in front of his house. Alex had come by that afternoon to tell him the good news. The granilith was ready. After two months of grueling and head-ache inducing research and tests, it was ready. Max could finally get on his way back to Tess.  
  
"Yup." Alex answered a small smile on his face.  
  
"Good." Max beamed. "I'll go get Lex."  
  
"Max, don't you think you should wait another day?" Alex asked.  
  
Max shook his head. "I don't see any reason as to why I should wait another day." He answered.  
  
"Well, how about saying good bye to all your friends and maybe packing? And the granilith takes twenty four hours to prepare itself." Alex reminded him, an amused look on his face.  
  
Max nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed for acting too excited but he couldn't help it. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He wanted to see Tess again and hold her in his arms and smell her hair and kiss her.  
  
He wanted to make sure that she was alright. There was still the nagging feeling that something was not right. It was already almost ten months since he last saw her and he couldn't push a sense of dread out of his mind.  
  
After all, Tess did have a habit of getting into trouble.  
  
Max hoped that this time, despite whatever his feelings told him, he was wrong.  
  
The next day, he said goodbye to all his friends for the final time as all of them stood in front of the granilith to see him off.  
  
Isabel cried, making him promise to do whatever to keep in touch with her and Michael and the rest of the family. She made him swear never to let her nephew forget her.  
  
Michael wished him luck, reminding him that Tess was special and he was lucky that they both had another chance after so many disasters.  
  
Kyle gave him a neatly wrapped package to give to Tess. "She'll understand." Kyle told him. He then proceeded on half jokingly warning Max, alien or not, that if he ever caused anything to hurt his _sister_ again, Kyle would personally make his life difficult.  
  
Alex took his turn and wished him like, like the rest of them did and hinted on future plans like a wedding or more children. Max only laughed. Inwardly, he liked the sound of that. "Someday, we'll visit you." He promised and Max nodded. _Soon_, he thought.  
  
Maria hugged him, smiling sadly. "It won't be the same without you." She said, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Come back, Max, even if you're not here to save our lives again." She chuckled. "And tell Tess that too."  
  
"I will." Max answered.  
  
Liz followed next, sad look in her face. "We've been through so much and I'm lucky to have you in my life. I'm grateful, Max. Thank you for everything that you've done for me and given me. It meant so much." She said, hugging him gently, saddened that she was losing a really good friend.  
  
Liz had come to the understanding that no matter how much they had loved each other in the past, Max belonged and always will belong to Tess for the rest of his life.  
  
Max smiled, not knowing what to say to her. "Bye, Liz. Thanks for everything too." He said instead.  
  
The last to say goodbye was Jim Valenti, deeply saddened that he was losing a man that he considered as a son. He extended his hand to shake Max's and then hugged him instead. "Be happy, Max." He whispered to him. "You all deserve that much." And with that said, he kissed little Lex on the forehead, ruffling his hair before taking a step back to join the others.  
  
Max stood in front of them with his son in his arms. He was happy to finally be able to go to Tess but at the same time, dismayed to leave the people who had been through so much with him and had held a part of his heart.  
  
This was his family and they had gone through the most bizarre and dangerous and exciting moments in the lives.  
  
They had shared their happiness and disappointments and no matter what, they had been there for each other.  
  
He was leaving the people he knew he could count on, leaving the home that he has had for most of his life.  
  
It was heartbreaking.  
  
"I wish I had a great speech to give you guys." Max said, sniffling a little. "I can't even begin to explain how much gratitude I have for all of you. You've been great, for lack of a better word. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of you. I'm...I'm fortunate to have friends...no, family, like you." He quickly corrected. "And I want my son to know all of you so that he would be just as lucky as I was. Thank you so much for everything." Max took a deep breath. He looked at all their faces, holding the memories that came with each person.  
  
He'd remember them forever for their kindness.  
  
"We'll all follow soon, Max. It'll be like one big family reunion." Michael smiled as he put his arm around Maria's waist but still standing close to Isabel who was holding Alex's hand.  
  
"Yeah." Isabel agreed, hoping that it really would happen.  
  
"I'll see all of you soon." Max said as he stepped inside the granilith with Lex and the door closed, taking him a step closer to Tess.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"What do you mean she's missing?" Kail roared at one of the high ranking officers named Drake.  
  
The man stood still, his eyes leveled to his superior. "We can't find her sir. There was a huge explosion. Everything was in chaos." Drake answered. He was in the one of the units that Ava commanded.  
  
Kail exhaled; exhaustion evident in his posture. "How long has she been missing?" He asked, his voice softening but still strained.  
  
"The last time someone saw her was three days." The officer answered. "I ordered several of my troops to search for her. I myself had looked. There's no sign of the queen."  
  
Kail shut his eyes, praying that what he feared did not happen. He was already beginning to regret taking a different post from Ava. Had he been near her, he would probably have kept her safe. "Who else knows that the queen is missing?" He asked.  
  
"Just myself and several of my men. Even they don't really suspect anything." Drake answered. "They think that I'm looking for her to see what to do next."  
  
Kail nodded, satisfied. "Keep it that way. Don't let word get out that the queen is missing. In the mean time, you take your orders from me. Continue to look for her. If there's no body, then she's still alive. I'll search the western front as well." He declared and Drake nodded before turning to leave and return to his post.  
  
Kail did the same, heading for the opposite direction. He hadn't received word from Ava and when his concern finally became great worry, he hurried back to the palace.  
  
He found it in shambles, half of it ruined by an explosion. The rest was used as a make-shift hospital and shelter for the wounded or dying soldiers.  
  
Kail shook his helmet-covered head at the disastrous situation that they were once again. It seemed that their people was cursed, their queen especially.  
  
One lifetime after another, disaster followed. Her life and her people's was engulfed by pain and suffering. Death surrounded them constantly.  
  
It seemed that the past was repeating itself again and like before, they could not escape the tragic end.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
In one of the abandoned battlegrounds, a man and his daughter finds the dying body of a woman.  
  
He gasped at the sight in front of him. Sprawled beside a soldier's dead body, covered in mud and blood, the girl was barely alive. She was barely recognizable. Her face was slashed by a large weapon and her shoulder badly dislocated. She was wounded in the stomach, presumably stabbed three different times. He assumed that she hit her head on a rock when she fell and knocked her unconscious. The wound had the beginnings of an infection.  
  
"Help me carry her!" He said to his daughter who rushed to his side.  
  
They carried her limp body to a clearing and made camp. "Who do you think she is?" The daughter glanced at the woman who was breathing evenly but still unconscious.  
  
The man shrugged; curiosity and concern written on his face. "Who knows?" He answered as he watched the blue-green flames of the fire dance before his eyes.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Something had gone horribly wrong. Max and Lex had reached Antar but instead of the beautiful planet that Tess helped him remember from before, what he found was a war zone.  
  
Max looked around him, shaken by shock and fear. Lex was still in his arms, whimpering, obviously aware that something was wrong with his home.  
  
"It's okay, Lex." Max whispered to his son. His heart was beating so fast that he hoped he didn't scare Lex.  
  
They were in room where another granilith stood, exactly the same as the one on Earth. He peered out of the room, holding Lex close to him for protection. Outside, there were hundreds of soldiers, mostly wounded. Many of them were laying on what seemed like the Antarian version of hospital beds. They appeared to be in some kind of enormous hall.  
  
A man in uniform spotted Max and a frown crossed his face. He was immediately walking toward them.  
  
"You shouldn't have come here." The stranger said sternly in their Antarian language.  
  
Max remained silent, thankful that he understood most of the words, and said nothing as the man ushered him out of the room. He signaled a few of the less wounded guards to stand in front of the room where the granilith was kept.  
  
Max only looked at him.  
  
The soldier shook his head at Max as he took a quick glance at Lex. "It's unfortunate that you and your son had to come back to Antar these times. No one told you?"  
  
Max shook his head as he glanced at the organized chaos. Half of the building was torn off. "What happened?" He asked.  
  
"When the Queen returned and the news of Khivar's death reached his supporters here on this planet, they ambushed the Royal Four's followers. They started assassinating the Council members. The people's army retaliated and from there a war begun." The stranger answered sadly, his eyes becoming teary.  
  
"And the Queen?" Max asked, careful with his choice of words.  
  
The man shrugged. "She's been in the battlefield since the war begun. It's terrifying out there." He answered, his expression becoming unhappier. "We are so blessed to have a ruler who is as courageous as Ava. Her people will always be grateful."  
  
Max nodded, becoming more worried than before. "And where is Kail?"  
  
"Last we heard, the commander was in the western front with the rest of his troops." The man replied. "He'll be back here today, I assume. He usually comes back to check one everyone every few weeks and take back any able soldiers to the field. My name is Drake by the way. I'm one of the commanding officers. I'm sorry I can't do anything for you. I wish I could. We're all in trouble here." He said glancing at the room. "Someone should have told you not to come." With that said Drake turned on his heel and walked off to another part of the palace.  
  
He looked back at Max who was still standing in the middle of the room, his son in his arms.  
  
Something was not right with the stranger. He was asking too many questions. Drake would keep an eye him until the Commander returned.  
  
He had received new information about the Queen.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Is it just me or are there more people in Roswell?" Kyle asked curiously as he peered through the Crashdown's windows.  
  
Liz looked up from one of the tables that she was cleaning up. "Immigrants?"  She joked as she carried the plates into the kitchen where Michael was, along with Maria.  
  
"I don't know yet. We should check it out." Kyle replied, distracted.  
  
Liz shook her head and continued to clear the tables. "This is Roswell you know. They're probably tourists." She offered and Kyle shook his head absently.  
  
They were cleaning up. The Crashdown was closed and Liz was looking forward to a movie with Maria.  
  
It was their new Friday night routine ever since Max left, which was a month ago. On Saturdays, Maria, Michael, Kyle and herself would have dinner at her house. Occasionally, Isabel and Alex would join them. And sometimes, the girls would have their _girls' night_.  
  
Then Sunday would come and the group would come together, and do something else. It seemed that ever since Max left, their lives became routine. Not the boring, intolerable repetition of tasks but more like ritual.  
  
They made it a point to see each other and remain friends.  
  
"Kyle, stop staring at the people passing by." Maria exclaimed as she came out from the kitchen, removing her apron off.  
  
"They're not passing by. They're just standing." Kyle said.  
  
The hairs on the back of the girls' necks stood up and they both shuddered. His statement reminded them of a line from violently graphic horror movie.  
  
Michael still in the kitchen overheard what he said and walked up to Kyle and looked. "He's right." He whispered to the girls who now stopped whatever they were doing. "There are two of them and they're just standing out there."  
  
Maria shuddered and she rubbed her hands on her arms. "Okay, this is too creepy." She said, obviously shaken.  
  
"Hey, it's okay." Michael said, walking over to her. "Get your stuff and let's go out through the back. My bike is out there." He said.  
  
"I'll take Liz with me." Kyle offered.  
  
Both girls nodded. "Where are we going?" Maria asked.  
  
"My house." Kyle answered as they all started to walk to the back.  
  
"And if they follow us?" Liz asked worriedly.  
  
"My dad can shoot them." He said, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Or I could just fry them." Michael offered, glancing at his hands.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"We think that something is going on again." Kyle informed Isabel when they met up the next day.  
  
She frowned, shaking her head. "Who is it this time?" She asked.  
  
"We don't know yet." Michael replied. "A couple of them were hanging around the Crashdown. But they didn't do anything."  
  
Isabel wrinkled her forehead into a frown. "Has it occurred to you that maybe they were trying to rob the place?" She asked, completely serious.  
  
"If we're lucky." Maria replied.  
  
"Hey!" Liz spoke out and her best friend gave her an apologetic look.  
  
"It's better than more alien enemies." She justified.  
  
Michael cleared his throat to interrupt them. "We should still check it out." He insisted and Isabel nodded.  
  
They had taken the role of leaders ever since Max left, Michael more than Isabel since she was more insistent on living her life as normal as possible.  
  
Sometimes, Michael wanted Max to be there, to lead them again but he knew that his friend needed to be with Tess. And he was glad to carry the responsibility for him this time.  
  
"I had my dad check it out too, see what he can find out with the large number of people suddenly coming to Roswell. But he suggested this time, that maybe it is tourists or immigrants." He said, glancing at Liz.  
  
"Okay, in the mean time, keep your eyes open and don't act conspicuous." Isabel declared and the group nodded, before disbanding.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
In the one week since Max arrived in Antar, he had never seen so much tragedy and so much pain. Everyday, soldiers and civilians were being brought into the remaining parts of the palace to be treated.  
  
He had seen children blown to bits, their parents dying beside them. He had to wonder why, even with all their power, they would not fight back just as ruthlessly. Instead they chose to use weapons.  
  
He saw that many of them were allowed to use the granilith to leave for the planets nearby where they would be safe. But so many refused to leave, stating that this was their home and no one was going to take it from them.  
  
It broke his heart that Tess was somewhere out there, fighting beside the people that she loved so much, that she would sacrifice herself without a second thought.  
  
He had heard stories, from the wounded soldiers especially, how kind and beautiful she was and how she stood by them despite Kail's insistence that she leave the planet.  
  
Max sighed heavily at the thought of Kail. From Drake's information, he was supposed to have been back almost a week ago but already, grueling days had past and there was no sight of Kail. Drake had left already to return to the battlefield.  
  
He glanced at his son as he tended to one of the wounded that was just recently brought in.  
  
Lex was playing with the other little children in the makeshift play pen that one of the mothers had made. Max was afraid that any day now, they would be bombed or ambushed and his son would be caught in the middle of it.  
  
Tess would never forgive him.  
  
Max sighed again as his attention was brought back to the wounded man lying beside him who grabbed his wrist and pulled him down.  
  
"I know you." The man croaked and Max tried to pull away but even in his wounded state, the man firmly kept Max close. "You're him. You're him!"  
  
"I'm not who you think I am." Max said stubbornly as he tried to break free.  
  
The man shook his head, his eyes filled with tears. "I know you, Zan. I was there forty years ago. I was your friend. I wasn't that much older than you when you and Ava died. You look more human now but you are Zan. I know it." He persisted.  
  
Max shook his head.  
  
"I'm glad. I'm glad you came back." The man said happily as he let his hold on Max's wrist loosen. "Ava-she needs you. She won't be able to do this on her own. You must help us."  
  
With that said his breathing slowed and the man, whose name Max hadn't had the chance to get, died. His eyes were still fixed on Max, hope written all over his face.  
  
Max shook his head, disgusted with himself for not helping the man. He could easily have helped him but Max had already used enough of his powers within the week to drain his energy.  
  
He was tired, exhausted to be exact. He tried to save as much as he could without drawing any suspicion. He didn't want to risk being found out. He didn't know how they would react to his sudden arrival.  
  
As much as he wanted to run out the doors and fight just to find Tess, he had to think about Lex. Who would take care of him? What if he died? What would happen to Lex now? No, Max couldn't risk it.  
  
Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by people shouting and clamoring.  
  
Someone was being brought in. Pushing through the crowd, Max tried to see who it was. Sprawled on the floor, his blood spilled all over, was Kail.  
  
"Oh, no." Max said as he shoved people out of his way to get to the man who had saved Tess. "Let me through!" He yelled and bent down next to him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kail asked, surprised despite the pain he was in.  
  
"I came back like I promised Tess." Max answered.  
  
Kail coughed. "Wrong timing, Zan." He said and Max continued to frown. "How long?"  
  
"It doesn't matter. Where is she?" He said, going straight to the point.  
  
Kail shook his head. "Don't know." He shook his head again.  
  
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Max asked angrily, oblivious of the crowd that was forming around them.  
  
"No one has been able to find her. We tried to keep it quiet but now you're here and-" He started to go into shock and Max knew that if he didn't do anything soon, the other man would die.  
  
Pressing his hand on the most fatal wound, Max used enough of his energy to heal Kail to the point that he would not die.  
  
Then the room started to spin as people gasped with awe and amazement. He could hear them calling him name. Many were murmuring.  
  
"Zan!" Some said.  
  
"The king is back!" The others whispered.  
  
The next thing Max knew was that he was coming to and Kail was looking down at him, a concerned look on his face.  
  
"You shouldn't have come." Kail said sternly as he helped Max sit up. He looked around and found that he had been moved to another room.  
  
Max glared at Kail. He knew the man didn't approve of him, thought him beneath Tess but he couldn't care less. "Leaving Tess was never part of the agenda. I was going to come back to her no matter what." He said firmly.  
  
"Is that guilt or gratitude talking?" Kail retorted.  
  
"I just saved your life. I say you show some respect, especially to someone who is your king." Max said angrily.  
  
Kail scoffed. "You haven't been much of a king or anything for that matter, _your highness_."  
  
Max opened his mouth to return the insult but someone cleared their throat and Max and Kail turned to face Drake standing by the doorway, a disapproving look on his face.  
  
"What do you want?" Kail demanded.  
  
"We are in a war here, Commander, and as much as it pleases me to see the king," He said turning to Max." Return to his rightful place, we have no time for petty bickering. At the rate that we are going, we are neither going to find Queen Ava nor win this damned war."  
  
"You are overstepping your boundaries here, soldier." Kail said sternly.  
  
Drake cleared his throat one more time. "And you too, Commander." He argued calmly. "The king has returned. I suggest we _all_ accept that."  
  
"He's right. We have better things to worry about other than our differences." Max said. "Now, I'm going to go back to Earth and take Lex with me. I will come back with Isabel and Michael."  
  
Drake gave them a confused look. "Isabel and Michael are _Vilandra_ and _Rath_." Kail clarified firmly for Max.  
  
"Vilandra betrayed us." Drake stated.  
  
"My sister is not a traitor." Max instantly came to his sister's defense.  
  
"But she was." Drake persisted. "Anyway, you can't go back to Earth. Not now that everyone knows that you're here. They'll see it as abandoning them."  
  
Max shook his head. "I have to get my son out of here before it's too late."  
  
"They royal prince is here?" Drake asked. He had never seen the heir to the throne because when Khivar was ruler, the infant was kept in the palace most of the time and out of everyone's sight.  
  
Max nodded. "He's not safe. Had I known that this was happening, I would not have brought my son here."  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore. The main things we have to consider now are getting him to safety, bringing back the remaining of the Royal Four and ending this war as soon as possible." Kail interrupted.  
  
"And you can't leave the planet." Drake pointed out to Max.  
  
"Then I'll take the child and summon Vilandra and Rath." Kail declared.  
  
"No. You can't leave as well. You're Ava's second in command and now that she's not here, you have to stay with the King." Drake stated.  
  
Both men gave him disgruntled looks. "Someone has to go to Earth." Kail pressed.  
  
"I'll go and I'll take the child with me. You are both important to this war. You can't leave. Now there is a crowd out there who wants an explanation." Drake stepped aside to let them through.  
  
Kail walked out first, Max followed, then Drake. He put his arm on the king's soldier. "Welcome back, Zan." Drake said and Max nodded, grateful to have a friend in the midst of this war.  
  
The crowd began to erupt in murmurs as the three men approached them. Kail stepped forward and motioned them to silence.  
  
"The king has returned to us." He said glancing to Max. "After almost half a century, he has come back to free us from this endless turmoil and to stand by our Queen, his beloved. Together, they will rule and protect our people and give us back the Antar that we lost so many years ago."  
  
Then the crowd cheered and Max couldn't help but be overwhelmed and humbled. He knew that what Kail just said was embellished. True, he would protect them and he would stand by Tess but his arrival was only a mere coincidence.  
  
Max smiled at the crowd, nodding slightly.  
  
He hoped that he would not fall short of their expectations.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Her eyelids fluttered open and Tess stared at the harsh lights above her. She moved her arms to shield her face but found that she was strapped to the metal table that she was on.  
  
Panicked, she looked around her to find out who had held her captive and where she was.  
  
Her body ached and she saw that she was naked underneath the warm blanket.  
  
A figure stepped out of the shadows and walked towards her. "It's alright." The rather old man said, trying to calm her.  
  
"Who are you? What did you do to me?" She demanded angrily.  
  
"We found your body in the battlefield. You were barely alive." He replied.  
  
"We?" She echoed.  
  
The man nodded; a sympathetic look on his face. "My daughter and I."  
  
"The war." She said, finally realizing what had occurred. "Where are my clothes?"  
  
"We burned them. Careful." He said when she tried to struggle. "You've just come out of surgery a few days ago. We didn't want to move you and risk ripping the stitches. My daughter will be in here and she'll give you clothes to wear."  
  
"You experimented on me?" She asked in disbelief.  
  
"No." He said, sounding almost amused. "I'm a scientist as well as a doctor. I fixed your wounds. You were badly injured. We strapped you so you wouldn't fall and hurt yourself." He clarified as he undid the straps that held her down.  
  
"And my son?" She asked.  
  
The man looked confused for a moment but then shook his head. "There was no child with you." He answered.  
  
Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded, somewhat understanding. "My family will repay you for your kindness and for saving me." She said just as the man's daughter entered the room.  
  
"There's no need." He replied. "My name is Escala and this is my daughter Loren." He said motioning to the dark haired girl not much older than Tess. The man nodded and then retreated from the room.  
  
The girl quietly walked to Tess and handed her some clothes.  
  
She smiled gratefully as Loren helped her sit up. "The war? How is it?" Tess asked.  
  
"Not good." The girl answered, her back turned to Tess while she dressed. "Khivar's people seem to be winning no matter how hard we fight back."  
  
"And Zan and Rath?" She asked worriedly, finally fully dressed.  
  
The girl turned around to face Tess, shaking her head. "No one has heard about Zan or Rath since the first war. It's only the Queen who's left now."  
  
Tess shook her head. "I don't understand. My husband and Rath are here. They were just in the palace a few weeks ago. You must have it all wrong."  
  
The girl stood in front of her silently, a worried and very puzzled look on her face. "You're her, aren't you?"  
  
Tess frowned. "Her?"  
  
"The resurrection of the previous Queen Ava, at least that's what people call you." Loren replied.  
  
"_Resurrection_? I never died."  
  
"The memories make it seem like you haven't died. You remember everything but you did die, over forty years ago. You all died. Father talked about you ever since I was a child. He said you would come back and make everything better." Loren went on.  
  
"No!" Tess protested. "We _never_ died. Hybrids were created in case something went wrong with the war but that hasn't happened yet."  
  
"You don't remember. Oh, no. I should tell Father."  
  
"No, wait!" Tess protested. "Explain it to me. It doesn't make sense."  
  
Loren nodded, feeling truly sorry for the girl-Queen. "Alright. Tell me what you remember."  
  
"We're in a war with Khivar and his men." Tess answered as she took a deep breath.  
  
"That war was in another lifetime. Your past. It ended, brutality, with our defeat." The girl explained.  
  
Tess shook her head, tears filling her eyes. She couldn't believe that it was true. That she had died and the Royal Four was defeated.  
  
"The human-Antarian hybrids made from the Royal Four were sent to Earth. No one heard about you for decades. We all knew that the Royal Four were safely sent to Earth. Then you came back but you were married to Khivar."  
  
"I would never betray my people!" Tess exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Please let me continue." Tess nodded. "You were married to him and you brought along with you your child; a son. But he was Zan's child that Khivar claimed as his own. The people knew that he was using you and your son to gain power and approval."  
  
"Where is my son now?" She asked. It gave her hope to think that although she lost her first child, she had another child, a son that she would be able to love and raise.  
  
"We don't know. Anyway, Khivar is dead now. It happened on Earth. No one knows how exactly but many suspect that you and the secret resistance army were responsible. You returned to Antar for the third time but this time without your son. That's how no one knows. He's on Earth, I assume. Anyway, when you came back, Khivar's followers were outraged and they staged a siege. Now it's become a war."  
  
"This is horrible." She gasped tearfully.  
  
"I'm truly sorry your highness. You've suffered a great deal. You don't deserve this." Loren whispered as she gave the young Queen a small hug.  
  
Tess nodded, trying to stand firm, remain brave despite the ache and agony she was feeling inside.  
  
Nothing made sense. If Loren was lying, she must have a reason. But the lie was so elaborate that Ava knew it was true.  
  
It had to be.  
  
She had no memory of what Loren mentioned. All she had was the _past_ and that was gone too.  
  
They had died and were defeated. History repeated itself once again. "I need to go outside." She said.  
  
"That's not a very good idea. You should rest. We'll be leaving soon. Father only insisted that we come back here because he wanted to save you." Loren declared.  
  
"Please." Tess whispered and the other girl led her outside. "I need to be alone." She declared and Loren left her.  
  
Tess stared at the land ahead of her. They were far from the main city, where the Palace along with the other important buildings were located.  
  
Everything was destroyed. It wasn't how she remembered it. No, Loren had been telling the truth.  
  
This wasn't the Antar that she knew. Everything was different. _She_ was different.  
  
It only saddened her that her love for Zan still remained and he wasn't there anymore.  
  
Her whole world was gone before she even realized it.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"You were right. The activity in Roswell is caused by aliens." Sheriff Valenti declared to his son, as well as the rest of the group.  
  
"More enemies." Isabel said warily.  
  
"Not necessarily." Michael stated. Isabel gave him a hopeful look and the rest listened curiously. "Alex and I went to check it out. They look more like alien refugees."  
  
"Alien refuges?" Maria echoed in disbelief.  
  
"Yes. They don't appear harmful." Michael replied. "They're acting like any normal human beings. Some of them even bought a house."  
  
"That's a bit overdoing it." Kyle stated.  
  
Alex cleared his throat. "I don't think they're overdoing anything. They seem like they're actually settling in Roswell. Michael and I have been watching a few of them and some of them have children."  
  
"That still doesn't explain anything." Liz stated.  
  
"No, it doesn't but unless they confront us or threaten us, we don't do anything to raise suspicion." Michael declared and everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
"They might be running from something or someone though." Kyle pointed out.  
  
"Do you think there's trouble in Antar?" Isabel asked worriedly.  
  
"Could be but we have no proof. If there was something going on, we should know. Tess and Max would have sent word. A sign." Sheriff Valenti stated.  
  
Maria cleared her throat. "There's someone outside and he wants to see Michael and Isabel. He has Lex with him."  
  
"There's our sign." Kyle whispered darkly as they all walked to the door.  
  
Standing behind the screen door to the Evan's house was a tall man with dark hair who from behind looked a little too much like Max or someone related to him.  
  
"Zan sent me." The man stated before anyone could say anything.  
  
Michael frowned.  Isabel looked at little Lex with worry.  "And you want us to believe this because?"  
  
"Because you have no choice but to. Will you let me in?" He asked.  
  
"Is you try anything, we'll kill you." Isabel warned him as she opened the door and took Lex from him.  
  
"He wasn't harmed. Zan trusted me to take his son back to Earth."  
  
"Who are you?" Alex demanded, as all of them crowded around the stranger.  
  
"My name is Drake. I'm a soldier." He declared.  
  
"Why would Max send a soldier to us?" Michael demanded.  
  
"Because Commander Kail is occupied with the war and neither he nor the king can leave the planet." Drake replied.  
  
Isabel's heart dropped when she heard his words. _A war_. Max and Tess were in the middle of a war and they had no idea.  
  
"We don't believe you." Michael stated.  
  
"I have nothing to gain from this." Drake said firmly. "You have to believe me. I brought Lex back to earth because Zan wanted him safe. And he wanted me to bring you and Vilandra back to Antar. The planet is in chaos. The queen is missing. Please."  
  
"It could be a trap." Maria declared.  
  
"No. He's telling the truth." Michael replied.  
  
"But we don't even know him!" Isabel protested.  
  
Drake turned to her. "My father served under your unit. You might not remember who he is but it destroyed him when you betrayed your people."  
  
Isabel opened her mouth to argue but Michael stopped her. "Tess is missing. Max is in trouble. We have to go. We can't risk not going." He declared and Isabel knew that it was final.  
  
"Zan instructed that I leave the child to a man named Sheriff Valenti. He said that if anything were to happen to all of you, the child would be under Antarian and Earth law, in the Sheriff's become the sheriff's charge." Drake stated.  
  
"I'm Sheriff Valenti." Jim stepped up.  
  
"This is what you humans call a _will_. Vilandra and Rath are next in line for custody. But if anything happens to them, you get the child. Like I said." He said handing it to the older man.  
  
"He really thought this through." Jim said as he scanned the paper.  
  
"Zan knows very well the dangers of war. I have no time to explain how and why and when this war started. Just be by the granilith in twenty four hours. I'll be waiting. What you decide is up to." With that said Drake turned his back to them and walked out of the house just as quickly as he came in.  
  
"We're going." Michael said to Isabel who did nothing to protest.  
  
She knew that this time, they had no choice. Her brother's and Tess' life were in the line. They owed it to them to help.  
  
Twenty three hours later, they stood by the granilith, saying good bye like Max had done not so long ago. Drake watched nearby.  
  
"Nothing will happen to us." Michael declared to Maria who was crying. "I promise."  
  
"Please come back. Please. Don't die on me now." She begged as she kissed him tearfully.  
  
"I will come back." Michael whispered as he kissed her hair and hugged her tightly.  
  
Meanwhile, Alex and Isabel were saying their goodbyes as well. "Wait for me." Isabel whispered to Alex.  
  
"No matter how long it takes. Just come back." He smiled sadly as he kissed her.  
  
Isabel nodded before letting go of him and walking over to her small nephew and kissing him. "Be good to Grandpa Jim, Lex. We're going to go get mommy and daddy." Isabel said  
  
Jim cleared his throat. "Grandpa?" He echoed; a slightly miffed but amused look on his face.  
  
"Grandpa." Isabel said firmly. She hugged him too. "We'll see you soon."  
  
"Nothing will happen." Michael said again to everyone this time.  
  
"It's time." Drake said, glancing at the timer.  
  
Michael took Isabel's hand and together, they followed Drake into the granilith.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Max never knew the capacity of war. Not like Tess did. He had just gone back from his first time in the battlefield in over forty years and he barely made it out alive.  
  
Luckily Kail was by his side and despite their differences; the other man returned the favor of saving his life.  
  
"You'll get used to it." Kail said offhandedly as they sat on one of the boulders, fully covered in dirt and blood.  
  
Max cringed at the blood. He had been in the field for one week and already he had nightmares.  
  
He saw Tess, every single time. And each time she was dead.  
  
"I will never get used to this." He replied to Kail's comment. "And I don't want anyone to get used to it either. This war _has_ to end." Max said firmly.  
  
"It will end. The people have faith in themselves and their rulers. As long as you stand by us, it will end and this time different than before." Kail replied softly.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't Tess send for us? It would have been so much easier if she just asked for help." Max said, disappointed.  She was too damn stubborn to ask for help.  
  
"I'll never truly understand Ava but she wanted all of you safe. She wanted to protect all of you from this kind of agony." Kail answered.  
  
"Doesn't she know that we don't want her to go through this just for our sake? That we want her to be protected from this kind of suffering as well?"  
  
Kail shrugged as he wiped the blood from his armor. "Ava always did and always will want the safety of the people she loves, no matter what the cost."  
  
"That doesn't mean that she has to torture herself like this."  
  
"No, it doesn't but she's the Queen and what she says, goes." Kail declared, not knowing what else to say. Silence fell between them, occasionally interrupted by the distant sound of fighting. "We will find her."  
  
Max looked at the other man. "I never doubted that."  
  
Kail nodded. "I can't make the promise that she will be alive." He said grimly and Max refused to hear him.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Before Michael and Isabel could take in what was happening in Antar or the fact that they were finally home after so long, they were shoved into a crowd, given orders and briefed of the whole situation.  
  
Before they knew it, they were fully suited in thick armor and marching through the muddy fields and stepping over dead or dying bodies.  
  
"Michael?" Isabel asked, her voice small like a child's as she reached to hold his hand.  
  
"It's okay, Isabel. We'll get through this." He reassured her as Drake escorted them to where Max and Kail were.  
  
She nodded at him, searching for guarantee in his eyes. "And if-"  
  
"No ifs." Michael interrupted. "We will get through this." He repeated firmly and Isabel swallowed her fears and held on to him tightly.  
  
She wasn't made for this. She had never been in a full out war. She had never seen rotting bodies scattered for miles on end. She never had to wear armor to protect herself.  
  
She prayed that Michael was right and this would end soon.  
  
To Michael, it was like seeing his past all over again but actually being able to get the chance to change it. This war was like the one in his past.  
  
It was just as deadly and brutal and horrific, only this time, there was no Khivar to fight. There was still a possibility that Tess was alive.  
  
Her disappearance was too much to handle. In the past she disappeared too and it took him three days to look for her and when he found her, he was too late. She was already dead, the baby along with her. She had been stabbed right in the heart, the knife still sticking out of her.  
  
Michael cringed. He promised himself that he wouldn't find her dead. Not again.  
  
He spotted Max and Kail sitting next to each other, actually having a conversation.  
  
Isabel ran ahead of him and threw herself into her brother's arms, almost knocking him off his seat.  
  
"I'm glad to see you too." He heard Max say. "I'm sorry to drag both of you into this." Max declared as he turned to Michael.  
  
"Any leads on where she is?" Michael asked.  
  
"One of the soldiers reported that she was injured when he last saw her. That was in the eastern field." Drake informed them.  
  
"Where is this man now? I'd like to talk to him." Michael declared.  
  
"He's dead." Max answered.  
  
"Then I'm going to where she was last seen and looking again. I need someone who knows where it is to lead me there." Michael announced.  
  
"Michael, that's not a good idea. We already looked. She wasn't there. It's too dangerous to go back now without any men with you." Max stated.  
  
"That's why we have powers, Max." Michael retorted.  
  
"No, Michael, our power drains our energy if we use too much of it. It could kill us. That's why we use weapons." Max explained as he looked down at the one he had in his hand.  
  
"I'm going." Michael said firmly. "You!" He said as he grabbed one of the soldiers. "Take me to the eastern fields."  
  
The young boy stumbled and looked over at Kail who nodded. "Bring Rath to the eastern fields."  
  
The boy looked at Rath with awe.  
  
"Go with him." Max said to his sister.  
  
"But Max-"  
  
"Isabel go. You'll be safe." Max stated and Isabel nodded and ran after Michael.  
  
They traveled on foot for four days until they reached the eastern fields. Isabel, by then was undernourished and dehydrated and exhausted. When they saw the mass of bodies in front of them, she fell on her knees and threw up whatever food was left in her stomach.  
  
"Isabel, you have to keep up." Michael said as he tried to carry her.  
  
"I'm going to die." She groaned, trying to cover her mouth and nose from the smell of the decaying bodies.  
  
"You're not going to die because you're going to undo what your past self did. You're going to show them that you're not a traitor." Said the boy that Michael had taken to lead them to where they were now.  
  
His name was Flynn. He had a human mother and an Antarian father.  
  
Michael gave him an approving look while Isabel just stared at him.  
  
"Help her up while I look around." Michael instructed him as he handed Isabel over to the boy who was barely fifteen.  
  
Flynn nodded and he led Isabel to a rock and sat her down.  
  
Michael came back a few minutes later, frustrated with himself. He didn't find her or her body which meant that she was either alive or captured.  
  
"We have to keep looking." He declared.  
  
"Michael, I can't. I can barely stand up." Isabel protested as she leaned her head on Flynn's shoulder.  
  
"Isabel, you have to. We can't go back. And I won't leave you here. There's still some food left. You can have my share." He said as he lifted her into his arms.  
  
"Thanks." She mumbled as she drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
They walked for another day until Michael's exhaustion and Isabel's sickness caught up with them again. Even Flynn could barely keep up.  
  
They rested made camp for several days, until Isabel was well enough. They fed her some of the fruit trees that Flynn found nearby.  
  
"Is it over?" She asked them as she came to.  
  
Michael shook his head, sorry to disappoint his friend. "Almost." He whispered.  
  
"I don't want to die like this." She whimpered.  
  
"I won't let you." He said, stroking her hair.  
  
"Promise?" She asked.  
  
"Promise." Michael said.  
  
Suddenly he leaned in and kissed her.  
  
Neither one of them protested. They just wanted to feel alive, to make each other better despite the consequences of their actions.  
  
Michael pulled away from her, a questioning look on his face but Isabel said nothing. He kissed her on the forehead and laid next to her. They fell asleep in each other's arms.  
  
Flynn was nearby, too fast asleep to even care.  
  
When they woke up the next day, neither spoke about the kiss. It was as if nothing had happened and everything was alright again.  
  
They continued to walk further out of the city until they came to an abandoned building. One of the few that remained undamaged.  
  
It was a laboratory, far enough from the main city to be safe from the fighting but close enough for passing troops to notice and take refuge in.  
  
Most of the building's furnishings were destroyed. Glasses remained shattered on the floor while documents laid scattered all over.  
  
"We could rest here." Isabel said as she curiously looked around, keeping her guard in case there were enemies nearby.  
  
"Maybe there are even supplies." Flynn pointed out.  
  
"Keep your eyes open." Michael ordered as they continued to survey the building.  
  
Suddenly there was a lot of yelling and things falling and before anyone could react, Flynn was motioning two people into the light.  
  
It was a man and a young girl, presumably his daughter.  
  
"Please, don't hurt us." The girl whimpered.  
  
"We won't hurt you unless you help us." Isabel said firmly, regaining some of her energy.  
  
"We're looking for a woman. The Queen in fact." Michael stated.  
  
The old man shook his head. "We don't know anything. It's just me and my daughter." He answered, his eyes cast down.  
  
"You're lying." Isabel argued.  
  
"Please. We're not lying. We've seen hundreds of women. Most of them are dead from the attacks." The girl insisted fearfully.  
  
"Don't hurt us."  
  
"We won't." Michael answered.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Father we have to tell them." Loren whispered when Isabel, Michael and Flynn were out of earshot.  
  
Escalda shook his head. "The boy called the woman Vilandra and the man Rath. They've returned and they're hunting the Queen down. We have to protect her." He whispered.  
  
"But they're not harming us. I think they're friends with the Queen." Loren insisted.  
  
"Loren, listen to me. You can't endanger Ava. These people can not be trusted." He hissed.  
  
"Father I have a feeling that we're wrong."  
  
"Your feelings can't be trusted." He hissed. Escalda fell silent when Isabel and Michael turned to look in their direction.  
  
"They're hiding something." She whispered to him.  
  
"I know. That's why we can't let them go. I don't want to hold them hostage but we have to find out what they know." He replied.  
  
Isabel nodded as she rested against the wall. "When they sleep, I'm going to go into his dream."  
  
"Isabel, you're not strong enough." He protested.  
  
She shrugged at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It's worth the risk." She replied.  
  
"It's not worth your life."  
  
"We do what we can, Michael. This is the best I can do to help. I haven't been much help lately or anything for that matter." She said.  
  
"It's not your fault." He said, giving her hand a small reassuring squeeze.  
  
She nodded. "I'm going to look around again. See if I can find anything we missed." She said and walked off.  
  
"Okay." He answered as he turned his attention to Flynn who was watching them curiously.  
  
Michael glared at him. Flynn grinned at him and then turned her attention to the man and his daughter.  
  
"It's going to be alright you know." He said somewhat too cheerfully.  
  
The man and girl looked at him icily.  
  
"Once they find Ava, the Royal Four is going to regroup and they're going to defeat Khivar's men."  
  
"The Queen would never associate with traitors." Escalda said referring to Vilandra.  
  
"Vilandra is not a traitor. She's here to help her people. She left everything she had on Earth to help Zan and Ava." Flynn argued stubbornly.  
  
"Zan is not here." Loren whispered.  
  
Flynn smiled. "Zan is here. The Royal Four are back in Antar. They're going to save us."  
  
Escalda and Loren looked at him wide eyed. They had been wrong.  
  
"But she betrayed our people before." Escalda whispered.  
  
"Isabel-that's what her human name is; Isabel isn't a traitor. She's not like the Vilandra in the past. She would never betray her family again." Flynn clarified.  
  
"You're lying." Escalda declared.  
  
"I have no reason to lie. Zan sent for his sister and friend to help find the Queen and end the war. That's the honest truth." Flynn declared.  
  
"Flynn! Enough stories! Michael said from the other room.  
  
"But they're true stories." Flynn replied.  
  
"It doesn't matter. These people think we're traitors. Let them. In the end, we'll prove ourselves worthy." Michael answered.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Isabel knew that someone was in the room. She wanted to call Michael or Flynn for help but she didn't want to scare whoever it was and have them escape.  
  
Walking as silently as possible, she tried to listen to the hushed sounds in the room. Everything was semi-dark and at that moment, she wished she had a flashlight. She stepped on a broken glass and it crunched underneath her shoes. Isabel cursed.  
  
"Hello, Vilandra." An all too familiar voice said just as a figure stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"Tess, oh my God." Isabel said happily but before she could move another inch, Tess had sent her flying across the room into a wall.  
  
"Traitor." Tess hissed as she calmly walked over to Isabel who was struggling to stand up.  
  
"What are you doing? Are you insane?" Isabel exclaimed angrily, grabbing her bruised side.  
  
"So you came back to collect the trophies, didn't you Vilandra?" Tess continued.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She demanded.  
  
"Once a traitor, always a traitor." Tess whispered just as she sent a wave of energy towards Isabel.  
  
"I have no idea what is wrong with you but don't make me hurt you, Tess." Isabel warned.  
  
"Hurt me? You can barely stand up." Tess laughed softly.  
  
"Never underestimate me." Isabel said as she used her powers on Tess. The other girl fell on the ground, her wind knocked out of her.  
  
"Is that all you've got?" Tess taunted.  
  
"You wait and see." Isabel retorted.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The icy silence was suddenly broken by noises coming from the upper floors. Michael was immediately on his feet, skipping steps as he climbed the stairs.  
  
Flynn followed leaving their hostages to themselves.  
  
Michael gasped at the sight in front of him. Isabel and Tess were standing opposite each other, their hands in front of them while they used enough of their powers to kill a room full of people.  
  
"Stop!" Michael yelled.  
  
"Kill her!" Tess ordered him.  
  
Isabel looked at him. "I don't know what's wrong with her. She's trying to kill me." Isabel yelled as well.  
  
Michael, not knowing what to do, used a slight amount of his powers to knock both girls unconscious.  
  
"Help me carry them downstairs." He told Flynn who as shocked beyond belief at what he had just witnessed.  
  
When Isabel and Tess came to, they were both strapped on metal tables next to each other. Tess recognized the room.  
  
Michael was pacing around the room. "What is wrong with both of you?" He asked angrily. "I know that you have your differences but now is not the time to kill each other. We have a war to fight." He continued without letting either of them answer.  
  
"She tried to kill me. I had to protect myself." Isabel said.  
  
"You're actually going to believe this _traitor_?" Tess asked in disbelief.  
  
Michael looked at her and realized that something was wrong with Tess. "She lost her memory." Loren replied, seeming like she knew what Michael was wondering.  
  
"What?" Michael and Isabel asked in unison.  
  
"We found her barely alive. Father said that she hit her head when she fell. It must have caused her to lose her memory of the present time. All she remembers is what happened in the past." Loren continued to explain.  
  
"That's why she thinks that Vilandra betrayed us." Michael whispered to himself. "Tess-Ava, Isabel hasn't betrayed us. She isn't what Vilandra was in the past."  
  
"You only believe that because you're in love with her." Tess argued.  
  
Michael didn't bother to argue with the comment. He had to set the truth straight. "Ava, you only remember the past. Nothing is the same. You know me. I would not lie to you."  
  
She looked at him skeptically but it was true. She trusted him. He would never betray her, not even if he truly loved Vilandra.  
  
"Then explain it to me. All of it." She said and Michael nodded, pleased.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Max could not believe his eyes. Walking towards him was Michael, Isabel and Tess followed by three other people.  
  
At first he thought that he was hallucinating and that what he was seeing what just an image that his wishful thoughts conjured up but when Tess walked up to him and hugged him tightly, he was so relieved that he cried.  
  
"I thought you were dead." He said kissing her softly. The people in the palace began ti cheer.  
  
"And I thought I would never see you again." She said as she held on to him for dear life.  
  
Max sighed, holding her tightly in his arms. He pulled away from her for a brief moment to thank his best friend and sister for finding Tess.  
  
"Don't thank me yet." Michael smiled. "It isn't over." He said.  
  
Max nodded the grim look on his face returning. "It'll be over soon." He said to Tess who felt slightly out of place.  
  
She still did not remember her life as "Tess." She knew that she was Ava, Queen and ruler of Antar. Anything other than that, she didn't know what she was.  
  
"Zan, we can end this now." She told him, as she took a quick glance at Isabel and Michael who knew exactly what she meant.  
  
"But it will be a mass execution." Michael continued for her.  
  
"No prisoners of war. Just casualties. All of them." Isabel spoke.  
  
Max frowned. He didn't like the way they were talking. "On the way here, we figured out how to finish all this. End the suffering." Tess declared.  
  
"How?" Max asked.  
  
"Us." She said looking at the four of them. "The Royal Four coming together again. We can stop it. I know we can." She whispered. "Our powers have the ability to destroy anything and anyone. If we combine all of it, we can kill all of them. And I mean thousands if not millions. No one will be left alive."  
  
"But there are innocent people we have to consider." Max pointed out.  
  
"We'll protect them. We'll give them fair warning." Isabel replied.  
  
"This is insane." Max declared.  
  
"No, it's practical. We can't follow Earth rules here. It doesn't apply. We can't think that what we're doing is wrong. We're killing the very people who are trying to destroy us. We're ending suffering, Max." Michael stated calmly.  
  
"If we don't do this, it could be another six months before this ends. Not every one of us will make it alive. It will be too late." Tess declared.  
  
"She's right." Isabel said.  
  
"You can't just ask me to kill all these people." Max said, exasperated.  
  
"We're not asking." Tess replied and Max looked at her with disbelief. "The three of us have enough to do this without your help but it would be easier if you did."  
  
"So that's it? I don't even get a vote?"  
  
Tess looked at him and smiled sadly. "Zan, I love you but we have to do what we can to end our people's suffering. I will not make them endure this any longer." She said.  
  
"We're giving the people six hours to get to the palace. This means soldiers and their families. Anyone on the other side will be obliterated." Michael announced.  
  
"And how do you think the enemy soldiers won't know this?" Max asked, ignoring the fact that Tess kept calling her Zan.  
  
"We don't." Tess replied. "Go make the announcement." She ordered Michael who nodded and called all commanding officers.  
  
"I can't believe you're going through with this." Max said turning to his sister.  
  
"Max, think about it. Would you rather have more of our people die?"  
  
Max shook his head.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The soldiers began to retreat as soon as the news reached the front. Some of them were reluctant to go, in case the plan did not work and they would be left defenseless. But Kail ordered all of them into the palace or they would die along with the enemies.  
  
Six hours later, with just the last of the remaining Antarians crowded in and around the palace, the plan was set to go. Many of them were packed in buildings nearby while Max, Tess, Michael and Isabel walked far enough from the designated locations.  
  
"Ready?" Michael asked and they nodded grimly. "Max?"  
  
"Yeah." He said quietly.  
  
"If you don't want to do this, you can leave." Tess stated.  
  
"I'm going to do this." He answered with a heavy sigh. The all nodded for a moment there was silence. Total peace where they could hear their own hearts beating so fast, it sounded like thunder.  
  
It was Max who turned to face the city and raised his hand first. Green glowing power began to grow and form around the front of the city. Tess put her hand on his should intensifying his power. The green barrier began to circle the city, forming a thin wall that would shield them from the impact.  
  
Michael followed, raising his hand at the direction of where the enemy troops were. Bright glowing red energy formed. Isabel looked at him and took his free hand, intertwined their fingers and raised other hand, their powers joining together.  
  
Suddenly there was a large wave of energy and Isabel turned her head away to shield her face.  
  
The air became very hot and strong. Dust rose in the air, and there was a loud thunder. Everything became very loud and disorienting. A few minutes later, the wind died down and they were left with silence once again.  
  
"It's over." Michael said, gasping heavily. Isabel opened her eyes and saw that everything had been wiped clean. The buildings or what was left of them were gone. The dead bodies had been reduced to ashes as well, leaving only the trees and mountains.  
  
"It's over." Tess cheered as she hugged Max, then Michael and even Isabel.  
  
Isabel smiled and Max and Michael shook each other's hands. "We did it." Max beamed.  
  
They walked back to the palace, Max's arms around Tess and Isabel while Michael walked on Isabel's other side.  
  
The crowd ran towards them, cheering and smiling and crying at the same time. _Thank yous_ were being thrown at their direction while their people hugged and kissed them with gratitude.  
  
Kail managed to push through the crowd and greet them. "Congratulations." He said, smiling but his serious look still maintained. "And thank you."  
  
Max nodded and turned to Tess and kissed her. "I love you." He said.  
  
She smiled at him. "I love you too."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
One week later, the excitement and overwhelming reality of their victory finally died down. Workers were sent to rebuild the cities and the remaining Council members regrouped once again.  
  
Ava returned to her rightful role as Queen and Zan beside her as King.  
  
Michael and Isabel were finally free to go back home.  
  
"When do you leave?" Max asked.  
  
"In thirteen hours." She answered. "I feel like I should stay but I also want to go back home."  
  
"You're free to go whenever you want, Isabel. You and Michael can come and go as much as you want." Max said to his sister as he put his arm around her.  
  
Isabel sighed. "There's so much to do. But I don't want to just leave Alex. I miss him."  
  
"Then go to him." Max smiled.  
  
Isabel nodded. "How's Tess?"  
  
"She's fine. I haven't really spoken to her. Everything is so crazy here. She's always surrounded by the Council, asking for her permission to do this, do that." He replied.  
  
"Do I sense a hint of jealousy?" Isabel teased.  
  
Max shook his head. "I can't help but admire her for everything that she's done. I'm proud of who she is."  
  
"But are you happy, Max?" Isabel asked.  
  
"I don't know. I thought it was the right thing to come back here. I thought we were going to be really happy." He sighed. "I know that coming here was right. It ended the war. It brought all of us back home. But she keeps calling me Zan. It's like she's trying to erase Max Evans."  
  
Isabel gasped, realizing what she had just done or failed to do. "Oh, Max. I'm so sorry. With everything that's been happening, I thought Michael would have surely told you."  
  
Max frowned. "Told me what?"  
  
"When Tess was severely injured and Escalda and Loren rescued her, Tess lost her memory." She explained.  
  
"But she knows who we are." Max replied.  
  
"Yes, she knows who we are because we told her that. She remembers us as Zan, Vilandra and Rath. She doesn't remember anything about her life as Tess." Isabel declared. "She's not trying to change you. She's just doing what she knows."  
  
"Oh, God. I didn't know." Max gasped.  
  
"Max, I am so sorry."  
  
Max nodded absently. It all made sense now. Why she was acting so suddenly affectionate to him. He thought it was the war that made her act that way, made her appreciate Max more but now he knew better.  
  
Tess believed that she was still Ava. Her memory lasted as far as before she died. Max suddenly realized why she always asked him to tell her what their son was like.  
  
"Will I ever get Tess back?" Max asked.  
  
"I don't know. Escalda said that there's a great chance that she will never regain the rest of her memory. But he said there's a chance something will trigger it to return."  
  
"She's not the woman that I fell in love with." Max whispered unhappily. He knew that he loved Ava, loved her for the past they shared but it was Tess, with all her personality traits as Ava and herself that Max truly loved.  
  
It was like loving two women in one body. If the other half is gone, then it would not be the same.  
  
"Max-"  
  
"You can't do anything about it, Isabel." He said.  
  
Isabel didn't look quite convinced. "Maybe there is something." She whispered before leaving him alone to deal with his thoughts.  
  
Later that night, Isabel stood in the balcony of her room in the salvaged part of the palace, looking out at the twin moons of their planet.  
  
This would be her last night in Antar before returning to Earth again. She glanced at her watch and saw that she had three hours left.  
  
Just enough time.  
  
Walking over to her bed, she took a deep breath and laid down. She prayed that Tess would forgive her for this.  
  
Slowly she dream-walked Tess' mind and what she saw in the young Queen's dreams was nothing but happiness and hopes for the future.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ava's dream self demanded angrily. "Don't think that I'm stupid enough to believe that this is just a dream. I know what you can do, Vilandra."  
  
"I have to do this." Isabelle answered.  
  
"You're invading my mind. How dare you?"  
  
"Tess, please."  
  
"I am not Tess! Why don't any of you understand that?" Ava shrieked.  
  
"That's why I'm here. I have to help you remember."  
  
"I'm not remembering anything!" Ava protested.  
  
"Too late." Isabel said coldly and then she forced Tess' unconscious mind to see her own memories, triggering the ones that laid dormant and forgotten. "I'm sorry. I know that you're happy but my brother isn't happy. And I can't let you live in blissful ignorance."  
  
Then Isabel broke free from the dream-walk. She was heaving. She stood up from her bed, feeling slightly dizzy and walked to where the granilith's room was.  
  
"We thought you weren't coming." Michael said.  
  
"I haven't changed my mind." She replied.  
  
"Tess is still asleep. She can't come to say good bye." Max declared.  
  
"I know." Isabel said rather too quickly. She walked up to him and hugged him. "Take good care of her, Max. You'll be happy. You'll get what you want." She said cryptically.  
  
Max only nodded. "We'll follow you soon to take Lex." He said and Michael and Isabel entered the granilith.  
  
Max smiled sadly, feeling like he missed them already. It was comforting to have Michael and Isabel with them.  
  
He walked back to Tess' room and found that she was gone. The blankets were thrown on the floor and there was no sign of Tess or Ava to be exact in the room.  
  
Feeling slightly alarmed, Max searched the whole room. Half an hour later, he found her sitting close to the edge of the roof her knees drawn, her arms hugging them tightly.  
  
"Oh, God." Max thought, now really panicked.  
  
He could see that she was crying. "I'm not going to jump, Max. I just came here to think." She said aloud when she sensed that he was nearby.  
  
Max noted that, that was the first time she had said his name without having to force herself to do it.  
  
"This isn't exactly the most convenient place to do some rational thinking." He said, looking down and feeling like his heart just jumped to his throat from the fear of falling.  
  
"I like heights." She replied.  
  
"Tess-Ava, please. Come to me." He begged and she turned to look at him, her eyes wet with tears. She abruptly stood up, her right foot so close to the edge, just waiting for her to slip and fall.  
  
"I tried the best I can." She said brokenly. "I tried to make you-to make everyone happy. To make it all work."  
  
"I am happy." He lied.  
  
She shook her head at him. "No, you're not. You're not happy because half of me was gone. Because I couldn't remember who I was."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Please get off the edge and walk to me." He begged.  
  
"And you'll never be happy because you can't trust me because of all the lies and secrets that I've kept from you." She sobbed as she started to walk to him.  
  
Max took her hand and immediately lifted her off the roof. How she managed to climb on it at such a slope was beyond him. He was just grateful that she didn't fall.  
  
He hugged her tightly, to reassure himself that she was really there instead of back on the roof.  
  
She sobbed as she hugged him. "Max, all those people. There was so much blood and pain. I saw them."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"She helped me remember. She went in my dream and made me remember." She whimpered.  
  
"Isabel." Max whispered.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And do you?"  
  
"Yes, everything. I remember it all and it hurts." She said. Tess could still smell the decaying bodies, the infected wounds on the soldiers. She could still feel the filth all over her and the heavy weight of their wounded as she dragged them to safety the best she could.  
  
She could still remember the gnawing loneliness she felt whenever she had a chance to think.  
  
"It's going to be alright, Tess. I promise." He said kissing her hair. He lifted her off her feet and carried her back to her room.  
  
"Before I lost my memory, I thought you weren't going to come at all and I made myself believe that it was for the best. You would be safe. Lex would have his father and if you stayed away long enough, you'd forget about me and be happy with Liz." She whispered warily.  
  
"I wouldn't be happy without you. Lex would not have his mother. It wouldn't have been for the best." Max stated.  
  
"I'm sorry for putting you through so much pain. I wish I could change it." She said as Max set her down on her bed.  
  
"There's no point in wishing, Tess. Let's just promise to make the best of the future that we are lucky to have." He said kissing her on the forehead.  
  
"Stay." Tess whispered when she saw that he was leaving.  
  
Max nodded and laid next to her on the bed. She moved close to him, resting her head against his chest with his arm protectively around her.  
  
"I love you, Max." She whispered sleepily and Max smiled in the darkness and thanked his sister for the small gift.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Two months, with Kail placed in charge while the Royal couple was away, Max and Tess returned to Earth to bring their son home and visit their family.  
  
Lex came running down the minute he saw his parents, scaring Kyle, who was watching him, half to death.  
  
Their visit had been a surprise.  
  
Tess bent and scooped her son up, hugging him tightly and kissing him. "I missed you so much." She said, kissing him again. "Have you been very good to your aunties and uncles and Grandpa Jim?" She asked him and Lex babbled in baby talk. She handed her son over to Max who was just as eager to see him as she was.  
  
Kyle walked up to them and hugged Tess while at the same time, yelling at his father to come out.  
  
Jim came dashing out of the house, looking concerned and then grinned when he saw them, obviously surprised.  
  
"My god, you're here." He said happily as he hugged Max and Tess.  
  
"Surprise." Tess said cheerfully.  
  
"Michael and Isabel told us what happened. We were so relieved." He said as he led them all into the house.  
  
"It's good to see you. It's good to be back." Tess declared. "Max and I had things to finish before we could return." She said glancing over at Max and smiling at him.  
  
"I'm guessing everything is fine." Jim said.  
  
Tess nodded. "Everything's great." She answered.  
  
Jim nodded, pleased that they were happy. "How long are you staying?" He asked.  
  
"Two weeks. Just enough time to get everyone packed." Max answered.  
  
"Packed?" Kyle echoed.  
  
"Yup, packed." Tess beamed. "We'll explain as soon as everyone gets here."  
  
Kyle proceeded to call Michael, Maria, Isabel, Alex and Liz and told them to hurry to his house because they had a surprise with a surprise.  
  
Of course, when everyone finally arrived, their anxiety was replaced by the shock of seeing Max and Tess. "So what's the surprise?" Alex asked excitedly.  
  
"You're all coming back to Antar with us." Max declared and the room fell into shocked silence. Even Lex refused to make any noise.  
  
"For the wedding." Tess said and all the girls began to scream wildly, jumping up and down and hugging Tess and everyone else in the room.  
  
The guys managed to restrain themselves and settle to shaking Max's hand and congratulating him.  
  
"This is going to be one crazy wedding." Max said happily.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Four months later, with everything rushed just in time for the wedding, the big day finally came.  The cities were finally rebuilt, due to long days of work and advanced technology, of course.  The palace stood in its magnificent glory, completely restored like it had never been touched by war.  
  
The wedding was held in front of the palace under a silk canopy adorned by rare Antarian flowers. The palace steps were covered by white carpet.  
  
Thousands if not millions of people attended the ceremony.  
  
Tess and Max said their vows to each other, then pledged another to their people. Isabel and Michael made theirs, which was a promise of loyalty and protection to the new King and Queen of Antar and their supporters.  
  
Jim Valenti was given the honor of being _knighted_ as father and guardian to the Royal Four. He cried and hugged his _children_ happily.  
  
The rest of them were given gifts for everything that they did to help Max, Tess and Lex.  
  
"Kiss the bride!" Maria yelled from her seat. "Don't ruin tradition!" Michael smiled at her, unable to believe that she just yelled out of nowhere. God, he loved her guts.  
  
The crowd followed suit and soon everyone was cheering for Max to kiss the bride.  
  
"We can't disappoint them." Max beamed at her.  
  
"Nope, we can't." Tess smiled.  
  
He pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately. "Wow." Tess whispered as they broke the kiss for a minute and then kissed again.  
  
Then the crowd roared with applauses and cheers, wishing them a happily ever after.  
  
The End  
  
************************************************************************  
  
A/N: HOPE YOU LIKED IT. I INVESTED ALMOST A WHOLE WEEK ON THIS CHAPTER. THAT WAS 12, 814 WORDS PEOPLE. THAT'S 38 ½ PAGES OF CRAZY WORK. THAT'S PRACTICALLY FOUR CHAPTERS BUNCHED UP TOGETHER. I KEPT SAYING THAT IT WOULD BE THE FINAL CHAPTER BUT IT NEVER WAS SO I SWORE TO MYSELF THAT NO MATTER HOW LONG THIS WOULD TURN OUT, IT WILL BE THE END. SO THERE. MY BACK HURTS FROM SITTING IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER. GIVE ME SOME NICE WORDS IN RETURN IN YOUR REVIEWS PLEASE. IM THINKING OF A SEQUEL SINCE I JUST HAD TO INCLUDE SO MANY NEW CHARACTERS INTO THIS LAST CHAPTER AND I HAD TO PUT SOME ISABEL/MICHAEL MOMENTS. I HAD TO MAKE SOME OF YOU HAPPY WITH THAT AND I HAD TO LEAVE A POSSIBILITY FOR THOSE TWO. I ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA FOR A SEQUEL BUT THAT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR REVIEWS FOR THIS ONE.  
  
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING NOW GIVE ME TEN OR SO OF YOUR WORDS.


	13. Message To The Readers

Hi guys.  
  
I was wondering if you still want me to write a sequel for this story. I have a pile of work on me but hey you guys were great while I was writing this story. If it wasn't for all of you, I have no idea how I would have finished this story. You guys have been very helpful and supportive. As a thank you for all your input I want to write a sequel.  
  
But that all depends on you now.  
  
If you think I should then say so. Also give me some ideas on what you would like to see like for example: the pairings and the conflicts they should face. I have a vague idea but it's not solid and I haven't even written it down.  
  
I want to know what you guys want. After all, it is your reviews that I'm after. Anyway, you can leave your opinions on the review page or email me.  
  
It doesn't matter. Thank you for all the reviews by the way.  
  
~Kat~ 


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